Naturally just as we have released a version of the data types, I realised there was a class which should have been included!
I propose to add an abstract parent of the classes DV_DATE, DV_TIME, DV_DATE_TIME, called DV_REAL_WORLD_TIME. Its only features at the moment are timezone: DV_DURATION, and the invariant for timezone guaranteeing that it is within -1200 - +1200. The reasons I propose to add it are: - it captures the timezone and any other real world time characteristic we think of in one place - prevents the 3-fold repetition of timezone semantics in the 3 subtypes, which was the previous situation - provides a useful class for implementors to hang other real world time implementation features off - correctly differentiates the 3 absolute types based on real world time from the 4th time type, DV_DURATION, which does not include any real-world time semantics - it makes no difference to the concrete date/time types - the final result is still the same as in version 1.41 of the specification. I could not think of a better name than "real world time". Other contenders are perhaps "Calendar time" (however, calendars are really about years/months/dates) and "Universal time", which is defined as time based on the rotiation of the earth (previously called Greenwich mean time). A copy of the data types specification containing the change is at http://www.deepthought.com.au/health/openEHR/data_types_1_42.pdf. Q1 - any objections to the addition of the class? Q2 - any ideas for a better name? - thomas beale - If you have any questions about using this list, please send a message to d.lloyd at openehr.org
