Property

For the description how to request a new property, please see: Property (Create Change Request).

ECLASS is a system for classification and product description. For ECLASS as a system to describe products, the most fundamental structural element is the property. A property describes a characteristic of a product. With the help of classification classes products are devided into certain categories of similar products, the product groups. These product groups can be unambiguously described by properties (e.g. material, color, article number). The sum of all properties of a subgroup is called an application class. A property can have relations to values which determine the most useful characteristics of the property (e.g. property: color, value: red). The sum of all values of a property is called a value list. Every property has a unique identifier (IRDI), a preferred name, a definition and a datatype - among other attributes that are described below.

The following part will describe how the structural element "property" is structured and which attributes it consists of. All attributes are named in CamelCase writing. Attributes can be mandatory or optional, can be created automatically or manually by the user and underly certain rules. All of them are limited to a certain amount of characters.

A property is in a relation to other structural elements.

The official and internationally unique ECLASS identifier, i.e. primary key, is the IRDI (International Registration Data Identifier), a globally unambiguous identifier that comprises Supplier+TypeOfSE+Identifier+VersionNumber. The separate export of Supplier, ID, VersionNumber and the Identifier (ID+ VersionNumber) is therefore redundant. Starting with ECLASS Release 8.0 this redundant information will no longer be additionally exported, because it is already contained in the IRDI which is the only valid primary key in ECLASS.

The identifier for properties is the IrdiPR. It is mandatory, automatically created and limited to 20 characters. TheTypeOfSE of a property is 02.

The text attribute named PreferredName is the official name of the property and is a mandatory text field. The following rules apply to the PreferredName:

• 80 character limit

• no special characters allowed

• Must not contain a trademark, company or brand name

• It should be possible to use the preferred name within a continuous text , i.e.
  • Adjective before noun (German, English)
  • Lower case for adjectives
  • Avoid combinations of several terms, keywords/synonyms are denoted separately

• Give preference where possible to the basic grammatical form (singular, infinitive)

• The following special characters must be avoided: semicolons (;), inverted commas (")

• Formular symbols are not allowed in the PreferredName, but must be cited in the attribute FormularSymbol

• In the case of BOOLEAN properties: the name has to be interpretable as a question that is to answered with either yes or no if adding a question mark. E.g. "suitable for...", "...present", "...possible" etc.

The property's definition is a mandatory text field. It shall describe the property as detailed as possible. The rules to create a property definition are described below.

• 1023 character limit

• no special characters allowed

• shall be able to replace the preferred name in a continuous text without having to change it, i.e. the preferred name should not be repeated in the definition
• formal rules must be considered:
  • start without a definite or indefinite article
  • start with a lower case letter (unless it is a German noun)
  • do not end with a full stop or any mark

Definitions should be complete and explain the meaning of the property so that the user knows which values are relevant for the property. A definition must not be in the form of a request or contain a request. Phrasing such as "must", "is for", "it is needed" etc. must not be used. Definitions must not contain any units of measure (e.g. mm, °C etc.). For generally phrased denotations (e.g. length), create generally valid definitions, for more specific denotations (e.g. length of the screw), create correspondingly limited definitions. Additional explanations for the definitions are specified in the attribute 'note'. Further explanations about the use of properties that are not related to definitions are specified in the attribute 'remark'.

The property's data type is a mandatory attribute and defines what kind of information a property transports. The following data types are possible:

Properties which have value lists can only be of the datatype STRING because a value has translations of its own. Properties without value lists were set to STRING(translatable) as default in 7.0 with the exception of “number of…”-properties and properties like “GTIN”, “Supplier name”, “Supplier number” etc.

Important note for REAL-data-types: The dot notation is defined as decimal separator character. Please do not use the comma character. Please also see Chapter 3.6 of the BMEcat Guideline.

Properties of DataTypes INTEGER_MEASURE, REAL_MEASURE or RATIONAL_MEASURE measure something in the measuring unit. Units that measure the same phenomenon can be compared and converted into each other. A quantity collects a set of units between which a conversion is defined and intended.

In the field 'reference', only documents are to be mentioned, in which a definition of the preferred name exists explicitly as a definition. However, if only the theme of the preferred name is discussed, i.e. the norm does not contain a definition, the title of the norm is to be mentioned in the attribute 'remark'. In the field 'reference', preference should be given to international, European or national norms. How to enter a reference: See ’The guideline for the creation of classes and properties in the DIN property dictionary’ (according to DIN 4002-4, DIN 820-2), e.g.:

• DIN EN ISO 11145:2006 07
• DIN 820-2:2004 10, 3.1
• ISO 1234:2006

If no norm is available, a URL is better than no reference at all. Unfortunately, the risk that a URL will become outdated is rather high.

Detailed information is given in the DIN property dictionary under "IEC Property Classification". The IEC classification list is equivalent to the DIN EN 61360-1. The IEC Category can be chosen from a dropdown menu in the ContentDevelopmentPlatform when creating a new property.

List of IEC categories: IEC Categories

see ISOLanguageCode

see ISOCountryCode

Note on definition, optional, created by user, limited to 1023 characters. Notes are only designated for the additional explanations of definitions and must not contain any definitions. In the field notes, normal sentences are used starting with a capital and ending with a full stop.

Remark on the usage of the element, optional, created by user, limited to 1023 characters. Remarks are designated for comments in free text that in particular serve as an attached explanatory text or general/individual hint towards the use of the property. Remarks must not contain definitions or have an influence on the meaning of the definition or contradict its meaning; they must not represent an extension of the definition - that is the function of the 'note'. In the field remarks, normal sentences are used starting with a capital and ending with a full stop.

The preferred formular symbol.

How to request a change on a property in the ECLASS ContentDevelopmentPortal?

Please see here: Property (Create Change Request)

Rules for the creation of a change request are described here: General rules for Change Requests

• Relations to other structural elements

• Synonyms for properties

• Property (Create Change Request)

• The Release Process

• Block

• Aspect

• Reference Property

• Property (XML Mapping)

• Structure and structural elements