Learn about: Element Properties and the RIMMF Element Editor

To find out more about an element in a template or a record form, you can either:

• right-click on the Element Options column (to the left of the Element Label) in a record or a template
• enter <F8> when the cursor is in an element row in a record or a template
• choose File | Edit | Element Editor from the Main Menu options

In the resulting display, you will find:

• The official RDA Registry name of the element (below the tabs).
• Tabs that contain a variety of information about the element:
  • Navigator: how to find the element you wish to inspect, if you enter the Element Editor from the Main Menu option
  • Visualization:
    • Definition: the official definition for the element (from the RDA Registry); if you want to know how to quickly see just the definition of an element, see How to: See Element Definitions
    • a tree structure, showing whether the element has any parent or sub elements
    • Registry links: a direct link to the element information provided in the RDA Registry
    • TMQ links: a direct link to an internal TMQ document (accessible only to TMQ workshop attendees)
  • System Properties:
    • Domain: the type of entity being described
    • Range: a related entity; only supplied for relationship elements
    • SubPropertyOf: the name of an element's 'parent'–you can click on the name to go to information about the parent, and then use the <Prev> button to return to the element from which you started
    • Has SubProps: the name(s) of an elements sub-elements–you can click on the name to go to information about the sub-elements, and then use the <Prev> button to return to the element from which you started
    • Inverse: all relationship links have backlinks connecting the relationship of one entity to another in both directions, this box shows the entity label that will be used for a backlink to this entity label; only supplied for relationship elements
    • RIMMF ID: the unique ID (numeric) for the element in the internal RIMMF Registry
    • RDA ID: the unique ID (alphanumeric) for the element in the RDA Registry
    • Unconstrained Id: the unique ID (alphanumeric) for the unconstrained version of the element (without links to the RDA entities for use by non-FRBR applications, representing generalized RDA elements for attributes and relationship)
    • Source: answers the question 'who is responsible for this element?', e.g.:
      • RDA: the element comes from the RDA Registry
      • RDA+: the element comes from our understanding of the RDA instructions, but is not (yet) in the RDA Registry
      • RIMMF: we need this element internally for RIMMF functionality
      • BibFrame: the element comes from BibFrame, and might be useful
      • User: the element was created by you, for local purposes
      • MARC: the element comes from MARC, and might be useful
      • Dublin Core: the element comes from Dublin Core
    • Type: an indication of how RIMMF uses the element for internal manipulation:
      • an Attribute, and if so, specifically:
        • an Identifying Attribute
        • a Describing Attribute
        • an Attribute Providing Access
        • a Details Attribute
      • a Relationship
      • Metadata
      • an Identifier
      • a Caption
    • Associated Vocabulary: if the element has a vocabulary of terms to be used as its data, the name of that vocabulary is provided here; that vocabulary will appear as a pull-down list for the element
• Customizable Properties:
  • Rda Registry Label: the label that will display if you set the display to show the RDA Registry labels, e.g., Has Publisher's Name–see Record Menu options | View Menu | Labels
  • RDA Toolkit Label: the label that will display if you set the display to show the RDA Toolkit labels, e.g., Publisher's Name–see Record Menu options | View Menu | Labels
  • RDA Toolkit Rule: the rule number that appears in the RDA Rule column in a record or template, providing a link to the RDA instructions for the element
  • a Cataloging box that generates hints provided in additional columns that can be displayed for the element
  • a Mapping box that indicates how the data for the element will be mapped from RDA to MARC or from MARC to RDA, or will be displayed in an AAP (Authorized Access Point)
  • AAP: whether the element is allowed to be added to an AAP

Most of the data shown in this Element Editor is table-driven and cannot be changed by you.

When a record is saved in RIMMF, typically only the RIMMF ID, Element Name, and Text value, and perhaps a few flags that signal special processing instructions, are output. When a record is loaded, we use the Element Name to process occurrence information for the element within the record, and the RIMMF ID to retrieve all other information about the element from the RDBMS.