Another crosspost between the Clinical and the Implementers lists.
In versioning archetypes, we've defaulted to SemVer's three version levels
MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH. When discussing with DIPS what should be considered MINOR or
MAJOR changes, we've come to the preliminary conclusion that many more changes
than we previously thought may require a MAJOR version change. This is
exemplified below mostly with exchange of information between systems, but may
also be relevant within a system when adding new functionality with a newer
version of the same archetype.
These are as follows:
1. Adding non-mandatory elements (ie elements with occurrences 0..*):
Depending on the validation mechanism at the receiving end, a system with an
earlier version of the archetype that receives a message or payload with an
element it doesn't recognise may reject the message or just ignore the new
element.
2. Adding values to an internal value set:
* If adding the value Z to a value set that was originally "X, Y,
Other", you're modifying the value of "Other", which previously would include
Z. Semantically this is a major change, even if technically it's a minor one.
* If sending data to a system that has an earlier version of the
archetype, the new value will not be understood.
3. Adding a run time name constraint: A run time name constraint has its own
AT code, which could confuse a receiving system if it receives a code it
doesn't know about.
4. All changes in cardinality or occurrences that opens up the archetype's
constraints, such as making a previously mandatory element optional, or making
a previously single occurrence element multiple occurrence. Not receiving an
element you thought was mandatory or receiving more instances of an element
than you thought possible, can make a receiving system's validation mechanism
protest.
Thoughts?
Kind regards,
Silje Ljosland Bakke
Information Architect, RN
Coordinator, National Editorial Board for Archetypes
Nasjonal IKT HF, Norway
Tel. +47 40203298
Web: http://arketyper.no<http://arketyper.no/> / Twitter:
@arketyper_no<https://twitter.com/arketyper_no>
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