SBVR_ — Vocabulary should be mandatory

Name: Vocabulary should be mandatory
Doc: dtc/06-08-05
Date: August 2006
Version: Interim Convenience Document
Chapter: 11.1.1

In SBVR, support for Clause 11 is a separate 'compliance point', not required for conformance. The 'vocabulary' concept is defined in Clause 11. Therefore, support for the 'vocabulary' concept is effectively a feature of only some SBVR implementations.

On the other hand, most of the SBVR specification is structured around the vocabulary concept. Moreover, an implementation that does not support the 'vocabulary' concept cannot usefully support business rules. Support for the vocabulary concept should be mandatory.

The appropriate solution would appear to be to move 'vocabulary' to clause 8. In fact, 'vocabulary' (in clause 11) and 'vocabulary namespace' (in clause 8) are coextensive, and the "incorporated characteristics" of the two concepts differ only in minor facets important to different users. The proper solution is to merge these concepts in clause 8.

Resolved by the Resolution to Issue 9955.