Purpose

The 900000000000538005 $$ Description format reference set $$ specifies the text format and maximum length of each supported description type. This permits additional description types to be specified in future in addition to the three existing description types ( synonym, fully specified name and textual definition ).

Data structure

The 900000000000538005 $$ Description format reference set $$ is a C-I ( component - integer) reference set which is used to specify the length and format of the terms in descriptions of this description type . Its structure is shown in the following table.

Table 57. Description format reference set - Data structure
Field	Data type	Purpose
id	UUID	A 128 bit unsigned integer, uniquely identifying this reference set member . Different versions of a reference set member share the same id but have different effectiveTimes. This allows a reference set member to be modified or made inactive (i.e. removed from the active set) at a specified time.
effectiveTime	Time	The inclusive date or time at which this version of the identified reference set member became the current version. The current version of this reference set member at time T is the version with the most recent effectiveTime prior to or equal to time T .
active	Boolean	The state of the identified reference set member as at the specified effectiveTime . If active = 1 (true) the reference set member is part of the current version of the set, if active = 0 (false) the reference set member is not part of the current version of the set.
moduleId	SCTID	Identifies the SNOMED CT module that contains this reference set member as at the specified effectiveTime . The value must be a subtype of 900000000000443000 $$ Module (core metadata concept) $$ within the metadata hierarchy .
refsetId	SCTID	Identifies the reference set to which this reference set member belongs. In this case, set to 900000000000538005 $$ Description format reference set (foundation metadata concept) $$
referencedComponentId	SCTID	A reference to the subtype of 900000000000446008 $$ Description type (core metadata concept) $$ which specifies the description type to which this format applies.
descriptionFormat	SCTID	A reference to a subtype of 900000000000539002 $$ Description format (foundation metadata concept) $$ attribute which specifies the format of terms in descriptions of this description type .
descriptionLength	Integer	The maximum length in bytes of the terms in descriptions of this description type .

Metadata

The following metadata supports the description format reference set :

900000000000454005 $$ Foundation metadata concept $$
- 900000000000455006 $$ Reference set $$
  - 900000000000538005 $$ Description format $$

Figure 18. Description Format Reference Sets in the Metadata Hierarchy

Descriptor

The table below shows the descriptor that defines the structure of the 900000000000538005 $$ Description format reference set $$

Table 58. Refset Descriptor rows for 900000000000538005 $$ Description format $$ .
refsetId	referencedComponentId (Referenced component)	attributeDescription (Attribute description)	attributeType (Attribute type)	attributeOrder (Attribute order)
900000000000456007 $$ Reference set descriptor $$	900000000000538005 $$ Description format $$	900000000000462002 $$ Description type component $$	900000000000461009 $$ Concept type component $$	0
900000000000456007 $$ Reference set descriptor $$	900000000000538005 $$ Description format $$	900000000000539002 $$ Description format $$	900000000000461009 $$ Concept type component $$	1
900000000000456007 $$ Reference set descriptor $$	900000000000538005 $$ Description format $$	900000000000544009 $$ Description length $$	900000000000478000 $$ Unsigned integer $$	2

Note: The table above omits the initial four columns of data present in the release file. These follow the standards versioning pattern id, effectiveTime, active, moduleId. Additionally, to aid understanding, the table above also shows the term from one of the descriptions associated with each of the identified concept. The release file only contains the identifier .

Description format reference set example

This example holds the all the members of the 900000000000538005 $$ Description format reference set $$ in the SNOMED CT International Release for July 2014. Other members may added to future versions of the International Release if new description types are introduced. Owners of Extensions that support additional description types must also add members to the 900000000000538005 $$ Description format reference set $$ .

Table 59. Sample content from 900000000000538005 $$ Description format $$ .
refsetId	referencedComponentId (Description type component)	descriptionFormat (Description format)	descriptionLength (Description length)
900000000000538005 $$ Description format $$	900000000000003001 $$ Fully specified name $$	900000000000540000 $$ Plain text $$	255
900000000000538005 $$ Description format $$	900000000000013009 $$ Synonym $$	900000000000540000 $$ Plain text $$	255
900000000000538005 $$ Description format $$	900000000000550004 $$ Definition $$	900000000000540000 $$ Plain text $$	4096

Note: The tables above omit the initial four columns of data present in the release file. These follow the standards versioning pattern id, effectiveTime, active, moduleId. Additionally, to aid understanding, the tables above also show the term from one of the descriptions associated with each of the identified concept. The release file only contains the identifier .

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Data structure

Metadata

Descriptor

Description format reference set example