RE: Just what is a Core Component? Well, it depends on what "is" is.

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

So Arofan Gregory says a "core" component is the same across contexts.
How do I interpret that?  That a "regular, not so core" component
changes, chameleon-like, across contexts?

Let's take an example:  in the latest Core Component catalog, Initial CC
Structure v1-03.xls,  look at the aggregate "means of transport.details"
at Line 110.  Now, is an aggregate a "core" component? Or are just the
embedded entities?  In any case, the aggregate is supposedly used to
identify some means of transport, such as a ship or a truck.  So in the
context of ocean transport, a ship is being identified;  for terrestrial
transport, a truck.  So it's really not the same across "business"
contexts, is it?  But its structure remains the same, I'll grant you -
but I'm not use to structure changing around on me in any case.

Besides my problem with understanding whatever is meant by "context," I
have a beef with the "means of transport.details"aggregate itself. It's
clear that it was inspired by EDIFACT composite C222 Transport
Identification - the embedded entities have practically the same names
as the composite's elements and are in the same order! See
http://www.unece.org/trade/untdid/d01a/trcd/trcdc222.htm.  The "context"
whether you're talking about a ship or a truck can be specified in the
C222's 1131/3055 pair (e.g., Lloyd's register of shipping or Standard
Carrier Alpha Code), which is mysteriously missing from the ebXML
analog.  How come?

But there's not a single reference to C222 in the spreadsheet catalog.
Did the aggregate just arise spontaneously, based on someone's
"business" knowledge? And if in fact it was based on C222, why not
include an annotation saying C222 was the inspiration which lead to the
aggregate's discovery?

William J. Kammerer
FORESIGHT Corp.
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