General Codelist Rules

View codelist specific rules

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Codelist Rules
  1. The letters I, O, Q, U and Z and 0 (zero) will not be used in any network value whilst other values are available.
  1. Special characters : + < > \ @ which are part of EDI or XML syntax will not be used in any description or value. Other special characters & ? etc may be used in descriptions (but not in a code list value) if it forms part of an actual name (eg broker name, product name etc) or where the description will breach 70 characters.
  1. Abbreviations will be avoided, and only used if the description will breach 70 characters.
  1. All words used in descriptions will start uppercase.
  1. Descriptions for existing values will not usually be amended – a new code will be created (and the existing value expired where appropriate). An exception may be made where the amended description does not alter the meaning of the code list entry.
  1. Consistent phraseology shall be used wherever possible. Polaris may change the requested description for a new code value to be added so that it is consistent with other values in the list, or to help users find it amongst similar values when searching a long list.
  1. Code list identifiers will be numeric. NOTE Identifiers in the range 1-99 were originally developed for motor, 200-299 and 500 onwards for commercial, 400-499 for household and the 800 range is reserved for referencing multiple code lists used in commercial XML NOTE:some code lists in the range have been allocated according to their initial scope and then used across additional business lines later.
  1. Identifiers for code lists that originated from EDIFACT may be more than 3 characters.
  1. Network values for new code lists will be fixed 3 character alpha numeric unless there is an expectation that more values than this could provide are likely to be required or the list is the source of a cross reference (X-Ref) which MUST always be fixed 3 character numeric values.
  1. Descriptions and Network values will be allocated by Polaris and will be unique within that code list.
  1. Specific rules for any new code list created will be in the business context in which the code list was created – where the code list is later used in a different business context the rules will be reviewed and updated if necessary.
  1. Where Polaris rejects a request for a new code because it breaches these rules, its decision may be referred to ETPG, which will make the final decision. The requesting company must be present at the meeting at which the request is discussed. Failure to attend will result in the item being removed from the agenda.
  1. Code Lists will be reused across different platforms and product lines provided that any new values that are added do not compromise the integrity of the list. If this is the case the request to add the values will be refused and an alternative approach suggested to the requester. NOTE this will not necessarily involve using a code list – a different approach may be proposed.
  1. If a requested value does not meet the rules for addition, the defence of existence of similar values in that code list will not be justification for adding the requested value.
  1. A long description may be added to a code list value which clarifies the use of that code list value.
  1. The code value allocated must support the context in which it is used (for example, where EDI only supports a single character code value, allocated values will be a single character). If all values available are exhausted, a new list will be created and guidance will be provided against the data element in which the exhausted code list is used.