Semantics Of Business Vocabulary And Business Rules Avatar
  1. OMG Specification

Semantics Of Business Vocabulary And Business Rules — Open Issues

  • Acronym: SBVR
  • Issues Count: 4
  • Description: Issues not resolved
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Issues not resolved

Issues Descriptions

Rulebook is for governed community

  • Key: SBVR16-51
  • Status: open  
  • Source: Rule ML Initiative ( John Hall)
  • Summary:

    In some situations, a community is governed by a rulebook owned by another community. This frequently occurs in contracts. For example:

    • EU-Rent’s renters are governed by its rental contract. Like most contracts for services, it contains terms and conditions (respectively, the explicitly-defined vocabulary of the contract and the rules of the contract). The rental contract governs the ‘renter’ and ‘additional driver’ roles of its customers, but is owned by (is under the business jurisdiction of) EU-Rent. The rental contract is the rulebook for rental customers.
    • Almost all over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives trading is conducted under the ISDA Master Agreement, which governs the counterparties in a trade but is owned by The International Swaps and Derivatives Association.

    There are often rules for the owning and governed communities that are related. For example:

    • EU-Rent has a rule in its rental contract (i.e. for renters): “The rented car of an open rental must not be outside the area authorized for the rental”. This would probably be stated in the contract as “You must not take your rented car outside the area authorized in your rental contract. If you do, your contract will be canceled.” or something similar. The second sentence is not a rule with which the renter must comply. It's a warning of the consequence of not complying with the rule. (Note: an open rental is a rental in which the renter has possession of the rented car).
    • There is a related rule for EU-Rent staff: “If the rented car of an open rental is outside the area authorized for the rental then the rental contract must be canceled”. EU-Rent staff are not governed by the rule for renters (unless they have rented a car from the company).

    The noun concept "governed community" and the verb concept "rulebook is for governed community" should be added to SBVR

  • Reported: SBVR 1.3 — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 12:48 GMT
  • Updated: Tue, 9 Jul 2019 14:49 GMT

SBVR Issue - What is a 'terminological entry'

  • Key: SBVR16-50
  • Legacy Issue Number: 19749
  • Status: open  
  • Source: Thematix Partners LLC ( Mr. Edward J. Barkmeyer)
  • Summary:

    Specification: SBVR

    Version: 1.3 (from RTF Report)

    Title: What is a 'terminological entry'

    Summary:

    SBVR clause 6.2 (How to read this specification) says:

    "This specification describes a vocabulary, or actually a set of vocabularies, using terminological entries. Each entry

    includes a definition, along with other specifications such as notes and examples."

    But the term 'terminological entry' is not defined anywhere in the text of SBVR. In particular, it does not appear in Clause 19.3 in relationship to 'terminological dictionary'.

    Clause 19.3 says a 'terminological dictionary' is a collection of representations, that it "includes representations" and "presents a vocabulary". But then a vocabulary is a "set of designations", and is apparently related to them by 'thing is in set', because there is no other stated verb concept to relate them. So the vocabulary is a subset of the "set of representations" that is included in a terminological dictionary that presents it? But a 'terminological entry' seems to be none of the above, and a 'terminological dictionary' does not include them? This set of circumlocutions completely fails to present a clear model for the exchange of a vocabulary or of a terminological dictionary. The central idea in a terminological entry, if SBVR is any indication, is a concept, and representations of it, and related commentary.

  • Reported: SBVR 1.3 — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 04:00 GMT
  • Updated: Tue, 9 Jul 2019 14:49 GMT

Multiple interpretations of the General Concept caption

  • Key: SBVR16-49
  • Legacy Issue Number: 19748
  • Status: open  
  • Source: Thematix Partners LLC ( Mr. Edward J. Barkmeyer)
  • Summary:

    Annex A.4.5 says: "The 'General Concept' caption can be used to indicate a concept that generalizes the entry concept."

    In point of fact, the General Concept caption represents three entirely different verb concepts in different contexts:

    • In the entry for a general noun concept or verb concept X, General Concept: Y means 'X specializes Y'.
    • In the entry for an individual noun concept X, General Concept: Y means 'X is an instance of Y'.
    • In the entry for a "role concept" X, Genera Concept: Y means 'X ranges over Y' (see also Issue 19519).

    Further, it is possible for a role concept to specialize another role concept, as 'first member' (of a list) specializes 'member' (of a list). But the range of 'first member' is whatever the list is a list of. Similarly, 'captain (of ship)' specializes 'officer (of ship)' but both range over 'person'. So, overloading General Concept in the way SBVR does makes it less capable of conveying the semantics of roles.

    [Note that UML and MOF distinguish between the range of an association end (role) -- the class (general concept) to which it is connected -- and any association end (role) that it subsets/redefines (specializes). SBVR apparently cannot.]

  • Reported: SBVR 1.3 — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 04:00 GMT
  • Updated: Tue, 9 Jul 2019 14:49 GMT

SBVR Issue - Annex A is a mistitled grab bag

  • Key: SBVR16-48
  • Legacy Issue Number: 19747
  • Status: open  
  • Source: Thematix Partners LLC ( Mr. Edward J. Barkmeyer)
  • Summary:

    Specification: SBVR

    Version: 1.3 (from RTF Report)

    Title: Annex A is a mistitled grab bag

    Annex A is titled "SBVR Structured English", and every paragraph of A.1 is about that topic, except for the last, which indicates that every subsection after A.2 is about other topics. In particular, A.3 and A.4 are about the structure of the SBVR specification as a terminological dictionary, and A.5 and A.6 are guidance for creating 'rule set' structures.

    It is imperative that A.3 and A.4 be packaged as a section, either in section 6.2 (How to read this specification), or in an Annex that 6.2 points to. Those two sections are "how to read the SBVR specification" and interpret the terminological entries in it. This issue arose from trying to find that guidance.

    Guidance for creating rule sets (A.5 and A.6) is not a characterization of either SBVR SE or the structure of the SBVR specification. It is a separate topic, associated with clauses 16 thru 18.

  • Reported: SBVR 1.3 — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 04:00 GMT
  • Updated: Tue, 9 Jul 2019 14:49 GMT