Unknown or ongoing date ranges

Schema: EAC-CPF 2.0

Context: Encoding unknown or ongoing dates.

Description: In some circumstances it may not be possible to include information about particular dates in an EAC-CPF instance because they are either unknown, or because a date range is ongoing. An example of an ongoing date range is a Corporate Body that continues to operate. Standalone dates may be unknown or a date range may be incomplete, for example when a date of birth is unknown. It may be important to indicate the status of these dates, rather than omitting them from the EAC-CPF instance.

The @status attribute can be used with the <date>, <fromDate> and <toDate> elements, with a controlled list of values, to allow for indicating where dates - or parts of a date range - may be unknown, or where a date range is ongoing.

The available value for <date> and <fromDate> is “unknown”, and the available values for <toDate> are “unknown” or “ongoing”

Example

<dateRange>
	<fromDate status="unknown"/>
	<toDate certainty="uncertain" standardDate="2010?">circa 2010</toDate> 
</dateRange>

<dateSet>
	<date standardDate="2014-07">July 2014</date>
	<dateRange>
		<fromDate standardDate="2016-09">September 2016</fromDate>
		<toDate status="ongoing"/>
	</dateRange>
</dateSet>

<date status="unknown"/>