Choices

Overview

Choices define exclusive relationship between a set of marker tags. For example, ductSection is an exclusive choice - you choose one option such as discharge or return. But you cannot use discharge and return together.

Many common concepts in our ontology fit this pattern:

• pointFunction
• coolingProcess
• heatingProcess
• ductSection
• pipeFluid
• pipeSection

Definition

Choices are defined as a subtype of choice (which is itself a subtype of marker). They are registered on a given entity using tagOn. For example, the pointFunction choice identifies a point as sensor, cmd, or sp. The definition looks like this:

def: ^pointFunction
is: ^choice
tagOn: ^point
---
def: ^sensor
is: ^pointFunction
---
def: ^cmd
is: ^pointFunction
---
def: ^sp
is: ^pointFunction

In the code above, pointFunction subtypes choice. Then the exclusive set of choices are subtypes of pointFunction. This informs us that when configuring a point, you should choose exactly one marker between the three choices of sensor, cmd, and sp.

Of Choices

There are some situations, where we wish the choice to reuse an existing taxonomy tree where subtyping does not make sense. For example, the pipeFluid choice defines that we should annotate a pipe with the type of fluid it conveys. In this situation, it would be awkward to have fluid subtype pipeFluid. Instead we can define the choice to use an arbitrary set of subtypes using the of tag. Here is what the definition of pipeFluid looks like:

def: ^pipeFluid
is: ^choice
of: ^fluid
tagOn: [^pipe, ^valve-actuator, ^pump-motor]

This definition informs us that when creating a pipe, valve, or pump that we should select exactly one subtype of fluid to model the working fluid.

A given choice must use only one of these mechanisms. If the choice defines the of tag, then the referent defines the choice options (and the choice must have no subtypes). If the of tag is not defined, then it is assumed that the choice subtypes define the options.