Dictionary

[Alberto Micol]

> I think we've got different dictionaries here.

Maybe,m I"m not sure...


> Things
> like descriptions of instruments I would have thought are likely to change;
>
> for example someone puts a different filter in (simplistically)
>
> ... certain values might change with time.
>

We do indeed have in mind the concept of valid_from/valid_to
for all the instrumental parameters stored in the data model. IDHA already
added this feature after a data model meeting in February.

Hence, still I don't see the reason to carry around that information.
The dictionary can point to the data model, and the data model knows about
the changes and when they occured.

A service, via the dictionary, can be bound to the data model of the selected
instrument, and hence gather all it needs to know.

Isn't this the dictionary you have in mind ?
Well, maybe this is somehow at a different level...

Let's first agree, at least between you and me, that we do need a basic
dictionary to start with ... these other details can be discussed later.

BTW, there is an old IAU effort to build a thesaurus, but that was some time ago ...
( http://msowww.anu.edu.au/library/thesaurus/ )

What about getting an electronic version of one of the many "dictionary of astronomy"
that one can find in any book shop, and get one or two students working on it ?
Is it going to be that difficult to have them come back with a list of about 2000 terms that will
cover 90%, if not more, of all the terms that are to be used to query a registry ?

Sure, there will be some degree of  similarity between different terms, but if they really mean
different things, we will take them all. Again, this a second-order detail, let's first
solve the first order! 90/10 is the rule!

Alberto (the pragmatic optimist)

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