TRANSFER CODES for HISPID3 & ITF2

Barry J. Conn

Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney
NSW 2000 Australia

barry@rbgsyd.gov.au

Introduction

The botanical data included in HISPID3 and ITF2 interchange files are transferred as separate records. Each record consists of separate fields of information. Each field of information is prefaced by an unique identifier known as a Transfer code.

Formation of Transfer codes

In developing a set of rules for deriving standard unique Transfer codes, the following rules were applied:

The English alphabet has been used as the standard
Only lowercase characters have been used

If the full descriptor of the field can be reduced to ONE word -

If this word makes sense and is less than or equal to four letters, then this is used as the Transfer code. For example, the Transfer code soil is used as the unique identifier of the 'Soil' field

Otherwise -

The first three letters of the full descriptor is used. For example, the Transfer code fam is used as the unique identifier of the 'Family' [name] field. Likewise, iso is used for the Isocode field, since 'Isocode' is treated as one word and 'ISO' is already a familiar abbreviation for this type of information.

If the full descriptor of the field consists of TWO words then -

The first three letters of each word are used. For example, culnam for 'Cultivar Name'

Note: there are several fields which have set values, as defined in these Standards. These fields are referred to as 'Flag' fields. The Transfer codes for Flag fields are treated as two-word fields. That is, the word 'Flag' is not incorporated into the Transfer code. For example, prohis = Propagation History Flag (a code to indicate the nature of the production of the living plant material).

If the full descriptor of the field consists of three words -

Then the first letter of each word is used. For example, nnp for the Nearest Named Place field

Other Rules:

If a well-known abbreviation exists which consists of no more than 4 letters, then this is used as the Transfer code. For example - poss, iucn

Exceptions:

The data transferred in HISPID3 and ITF2 files consist of the following two types of information:

'File information' which describes the contents of the transfer file and 'Record information' which describes the information within each record transferred in the file.

1. File Information Field Identifiers

The File identifier Transfer codes are not abbreviated to the same extent as those pertaining to the various fields of each record. Since they only occur once in each file, a longer code is frequently used to assist in the understanding of the type of information in each of these fields.

2. Record Information Field Identifiers

The following abbreviations are exceptions to the above general rules:

{	beginning of record flag (as defined by the 'Abstract Syntax Notation Version 1' - ASN.1 standard)
}	end of record flag (as defined by the ASN.1 standard)
acy	accuracy, precision (for example, the Transfer code altacy = the level of accuracy of the altitude information from where the specimen was collected). Note: 'acc'= 'accession'.
au	author, authority (for example, spau = the author citation of the species name)
c	collection, collector (for example, cdat = the collection date of the specimen to which this record refers)
i	infraspecific (for example, isp = 'Infraspecific Epithet')
id	identifier, identification (for example, insid = the institutional code where this specimen is held)
isp	infraspecific (see 'i', above)
ql	qualifier (for example, idql = terms that qualify the identification of the name of the record when doubt exists)
rk	rank (for example, isprk = the rank of the infraspecific epithet)
sp	species (singular)
spp	species (plural)
t	type (for example, tsta = the type status of the record)
v	verification, verifier (for example, vnam = the name of the person(s) who identified the name of the record, ie. the verifier's name)
x	maximum (for example, altx = the maximum altitude when the collection has been collected over an altitudinal range)
2	second, secondary (for example, isp2rk = the identifier for the rank of the second lowest infraspecific name; cnam2 = name of secondary collector of specimen as opposed to primary collector who supplied the collection identifier/number)
3	third (for example, basnam3 = third most recent name applied to record, not the currently accepted name)

Other exceptions:

asspp	this abbreviation is based on the two-word principle of the first three letters of each for the 'Associated Species' field, except that one 's' has not been included for improved readability
culgnam	see 'Name' below
donacc	although this refers to 'Donor's Accession Identifier', a three-word descriptor, the principle of using the first letter of each word (ie. dai) has not been used because (1) 'Identifier' has already been shortened to id elsewhere in these standards, and (2) i has been defined as 'Infraspecific' (see above). Therefore, to avoid possible confusion, the first two words of the field descriptor has been used to form the Transfer code
misc	'Miscellaneous Notes'
moddat	the date of the last modification of the record (ie. 'Last Edit Date')
modnam	the name of the modifier of the record (ie. 'Record Update Operator')
'Name'	'Name' or 'Epithet'. If the word 'Name' is in the full descriptor or if it is inferred, then the abbreviation nam may not included in the Transfer code if it is understood and the code would be excessively long if it were included. For example, supgen has been chosen as the Transfer code for 'Suprageneric Group Name' because 'Name' is inferred and because gen has been already assigned as the code for 'Genus'. Generally, the word 'Group' has not been included in the formation of the Transfer code, except for culgnam = Cultivar Group Name. Here the 'g' has been included for 'Group' to distinguish this Transfer code from culnam = 'Cultivar Name'
pru	this abbreviation is based on the three-word principle of the first letter of each, in this case 'Primary Recording Unit'; however, the full descriptor is given as 'Primary Subdivision of Country of Origin'
sru	as above, rather than 'Secondary Recording Unit', the full descriptor is 'Secondary subdivision of Country of Origin'
supgen	`Suprageneric Group Name' (see 'Name' above)
supgenrk	'Suprageneric Group Rank'