Re: Representation Types

["William J. Kammerer" <wkammerer@foresightcorp.com>]

Mike Rawlins, among myriad other questions, wants to know the difference
between the defined representation types "quantity" and "measure."
Which should he use for "Degrees of temperature (such as the specified
temperature for a refrigerated container)?"

It would have helped if Mike told us which document he's looking at for
these "defined representation types."  After all, Core Components has
about 5 or 6.  As it happens, they are defined in Section 6 - List of
Representation Types - in the ebXML Naming conventions for Core
Components and Business Processes Ver1.0.

I do see both "Measure" and "Quantity," and they indeed look similar as
both are specified with a unit of measure:

   Measure: A numeric value determined by measuring an object. Measures
   are specified with a unit of measure. The applicable units of measure
   may be taken from UN/ECE Rec. 20

   Quantity: A number of non-monetary units. It is associated with the
   indication of objects. Quantities need to be specified with a unit of
   measure.

Frankly, I don't know why there was a need for "Measure," when the
UN/EDIFACT (EWG) Message Design Rules for EDI (TRADE/CEFACT/1999/3) - 6
January 1999 - seems to make do with just "Quantity" in section B.5 List
of representation terms.  See http://www.edifact-wg.org under
"Documents."  A "quantity" in EDIFACT is defined as "A number of
non-monetary units.  It is normally associated with a unit of
measurement."

William J. Kammerer
FORESIGHT Corp.
4950 Blazer Pkwy.
Dublin, OH USA 43017-3305
+1 614 791-1600

Visit FORESIGHT Corp. at http://www.foresightcorp.com/
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