[CF-metadata] standard_name modifiers

From: Jonathan Gregory <j.m.gregory>
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2011 18:02:41 +0000

Dear Philip and John

I agree with what Philip says here:

> We could then tweak our current practice on this mailing list so that when a
> person proposes a std_name they should state (or perhaps there is a little
> bit of code to check) that the proposed std_name conforms to the existing
> grammar and vocabulary rules. I think most of us would then provide only
> cursory scrutiny. Perhaps there could even be an automatic timer so that if
> nobody objects within some time period (perhaps 1 month) then the name is
> automatically accepted. Essentially the default decision for conforming
> names would be 'acceptance'. I think this would also make the generation of
> the text descriptions either automatic, or perhaps obsolete, in many cases
> because they could be inferred from the grammar and vocabulary tables.

I could bring the grammar up to date as a starting point. I agree that it
would be possible to work out text corresponding to each phrase and thus
construct definitions, or at least a first draft of them. Units could also
be deduced automatically. I don't myself have the expertise or the time to
write scripts in support of this, to make it easy for proposers to use these
procedures e.g. on the web.


John writes:
> But where we are talking about adding generic modifiers, it seems to me a more automated approach is possible. If the meaning of the modifier is clear, then no matter what name it is applied to, the meaning of the resulting compound should be clear. If that is the case, then adding that modifier to an existing name should be verifiable mechanically.

If this refers to the standard_name modifiers, which are separate words
appended to standard names, then in fact no approval is needed. It is fine
to add these to the standard_name attribute. That is not regarded as creating
a new standard_name. In fact the modifiers were introduced to avoid having to
add such names to the table.

Best wishes

Jonathan
Received on Thu Mar 03 2011 - 11:02:41 GMT