gml:Definition

The basic gml:Definition element specifies a definition, which can be included in or referenced by a dictionary. 
The content model for a generic definition is a derivation from gml:AbstractGMLType.  
The gml:description property element shall hold the definition if this can be captured in a simple text string, or the gml:descriptionReference property element may carry a link to a description elsewhere.
The gml:identifier element shall provide one identifier identifying this definition. The identifier shall be unique within the dictionaries using this definition. 
The gml:name elements shall provide zero or more terms and synonyms for which this is the definition.
The gml:remarks element shall be used to hold additional textual information that is not conceptually part of the definition but is useful in understanding the definition.

Element information

Content

• Sequence [1..1]
  from type gml:DefinitionBaseType
  gml:metaDataProperty [0..*]    deprecated
  gml:description [0..1]    The value of this property is a text description of the object. gml:description uses gml:StringOrRefType as its content model, so it may contain a simple text string content, or carry a reference to an external description. The use of gml:description to reference an external description has been deprecated and replaced by the gml:descriptionReference property.
  gml:descriptionReference [0..1]    The value of this property is a remote text description of the object. The xlink:href attribute of the gml:descriptionReference property references the external description.
  gml:identifier [1..1]    Often, a special identifier is assigned to an object by the maintaining authority with the intention that it is used in references to the object For such cases, the codeSpace shall be provided. That identifier is usually unique either globally or within an application domain. gml:identifier is a pre-defined property for such identifiers.
  gml:name [0..*]    The gml:name property provides a label or identifier for the object, commonly a descriptive name. An object may have several names, typically assigned by different authorities. gml:name uses the gml:CodeType content model. The authority for a name is indicated by the value of its (optional) codeSpace attribute. The name may or may not be unique, as determined by the rules of the organization responsible for the codeSpace. In common usage there will be one name per authority, so a processing application may select the name from its preferred codeSpace.
  1. gml:remarks [0..1]    

Attributes

Used in

• Type gml:ArrayAssociationType (Element gml:members)
• Type gml:DictionaryEntryType (Elements gml:definitionMember, gml:dictionaryEntry)

Substitution hierarchy

• gml:AbstractObject
  • can be substituted with gml:AbstractGML
    • can be substituted with gml:Definition
      • can be substituted with gml:AbstractCoordinateOperation
        • can be substituted with gml:AbstractSingleOperation
          • can be substituted with gml:PassThroughOperation
          • can be substituted with gml:AbstractOperation
            • can be substituted with gml:AbstractGeneralConversion
              • can be substituted with gml:Conversion
            • can be substituted with gml:AbstractGeneralTransformation
              • can be substituted with gml:Transformation
        • can be substituted with gml:ConcatenatedOperation
      • can be substituted with gml:OperationMethod
      • can be substituted with gml:AbstractGeneralOperationParameter
        • can be substituted with gml:OperationParameter
        • can be substituted with gml:OperationParameterGroup
      • can be substituted with gml:CoordinateSystemAxis
      • can be substituted with gml:AbstractCoordinateSystem
        • can be substituted with gml:EllipsoidalCS
        • can be substituted with gml:CartesianCS
        • can be substituted with gml:VerticalCS
        • can be substituted with gml:TimeCS
        • can be substituted with gml:LinearCS
        • can be substituted with gml:UserDefinedCS
        • can be substituted with gml:SphericalCS
        • can be substituted with gml:PolarCS
        • can be substituted with gml:CylindricalCS
        • can be substituted with gml:AffineCS
        • can be substituted with gml:TemporalCS
        • can be substituted with gml:ObliqueCartesianCS
      • can be substituted with gml:AbstractDatum
        • can be substituted with gml:GeodeticDatum
        • can be substituted with gml:EngineeringDatum
        • can be substituted with gml:ImageDatum
        • can be substituted with gml:VerticalDatum
        • can be substituted with gml:TemporalDatum
      • can be substituted with gml:Ellipsoid
      • can be substituted with gml:PrimeMeridian
      • can be substituted with gml:DefinitionCollection
      • can be substituted with gml:DefinitionProxy
      • can be substituted with gml:Dictionary
      • can be substituted with gml:AbstractCRS
        • can be substituted with gml:AbstractSingleCRS
          • can be substituted with gml:AbstractGeneralDerivedCRS
            • can be substituted with gml:ProjectedCRS
            • can be substituted with gml:DerivedCRS
          • can be substituted with gml:GeodeticCRS
          • can be substituted with gml:VerticalCRS
          • can be substituted with gml:EngineeringCRS
          • can be substituted with gml:ImageCRS
          • can be substituted with gml:TemporalCRS
          • can be substituted with gml:GeographicCRS
          • can be substituted with gml:GeocentricCRS
        • can be substituted with gml:CompoundCRS
      • can be substituted with gml:TimeReferenceSystem
        • can be substituted with gml:TimeCoordinateSystem
        • can be substituted with gml:TimeCalendar
        • can be substituted with gml:TimeClock
        • can be substituted with gml:TimeOrdinalReferenceSystem
      • can be substituted with gml:UnitDefinition
        • can be substituted with gml:BaseUnit
        • can be substituted with gml:DerivedUnit
        • can be substituted with gml:ConventionalUnit

Sample instance

<gml:Definition gml:id="ID">
   <gml:metaDataProperty>
      <gml:GenericMetaData>Any text, intermingled with:
         <!--any element-->
      </gml:GenericMetaData>
   </gml:metaDataProperty>
   <gml:description>string</gml:description>
   <gml:descriptionReference/>
   <gml:identifier codeSpace="http://www.example.com/">string</gml:identifier>
   <gml:name>string</gml:name>
   <gml:remarks>string</gml:remarks>
</gml:Definition>