PersonDetailsAlternativeLanguages
RIXML 2.5 Element
Container element that holds multiple PersonDetails elements, each providing comprehensive person information in specific non-default languages. Designed to maintain backward compatibility with v2.4 while adding multilingual support for person data.
Usage
Optional element within Person that contains one or more required PersonDetails elements. Use when person information needs to be provided in languages other than the default document language.
Business Context
Supports international research distribution by enabling complete person profiles in multiple languages, accommodating global research organizations and diverse client linguistic requirements for proper identification and communication.
Specification Guide
Overview
PersonDetailsAlternativeLanguages is a container element that holds one or more PersonDetails elements, each providing person name and job information in a specific non-default language. It enables multilingual representation of person data (job role, family name, given name, middle name, display name, job title, division, credentials, biography) beyond the document's primary language, supporting international research distribution where authors and contributors may be better recognised by their names in specific regional scripts or languages (sources: release-notes-2.5 p.18, data-dictionary-2.5.1 p.30).
Usage
Use PersonDetailsAlternativeLanguages as an optional child of Person when person information needs to be expressed in languages other than the document's default. It contains one or more PersonDetails children (minOccurs=1, maxOccurs=unbounded), and each contained PersonDetails should specify a distinct value via its language attribute (an ISO 639-2/T language code) [RIXML Release Notes v2.5 p.18]. The primary, default-language person information remains in the Person element's standard PersonDetails child; alternative-language variants are added through this container alongside it.
Rules
- MUSTPersonDetailsAlternativeLanguages MUST contain at least one PersonDetails child element (minOccurs=1, maxOccurs=unbounded).[RIXML Release Notes v2.5 p.18] [RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.5.1 p.30]
- SHOULDEach PersonDetails contained within PersonDetailsAlternativeLanguages should specify a distinct language via its language attribute using an ISO 639-2/T code.[RIXML Release Notes v2.5 p.18]
Relationships
- child-ofPerson — PersonDetailsAlternativeLanguages appears as an optional child of Person, supplementing the default-language PersonDetails.
- containsPersonDetails — Container for one or more PersonDetails instances that provide person name and job information in non-default languages.
- replaced-byPerson — In the RIXML v3.0 draft, the separate alternative-language container is reported to be removed, with multilingual support integrated into a streamlined Person structure.
Where It Fits
Canonical Path
Children
Definition
| Type | |
| Namespace | http://www.rixml.org/2017/9/RIXML |
| Min Occurs | 1 |
| Max Occurs | 1 |
Attributes
No attributes defined for this element
Children
PersonDetailsPersonDetailsType1..unbounded |
requiredSince 2.5 |
Example
<PersonDetailsAlternativeLanguages>
<PersonDetails> ... </PersonDetails>
</PersonDetailsAlternativeLanguages>Version History
Unchanged since introduction in RIXML 2.5
Introduced in RIXML v2.5 as part of the "Names in Multiple Languages" globalization improvements [RIXML Release Notes v2.5 p.18]. The element was deliberately added as a duplicative container beneath Person — rather than normalising the existing structure — in order to preserve backward compatibility with v2.4 documents while adding multilingual person data [RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.5.1 p.30]. It remained in v2.5.1 unchanged. According to v3.0 draft discussions, separate multi-language containers such as PersonDetailsAlternativeLanguages are slated to be removed and folded into a streamlined Person structure [RIXML All-Member Meeting January 2025 p.35]↗.
Design Decisions
Created PersonDetailsAlternativeLanguages container element for holding multiple PersonDetails elements in different languages
Provides structured support for offering person name and job information in multiple languages beyond the default language
RIXML Release Notes v2.5, p.18
Added PersonDetailsAlternativeLanguages as a container element for PersonDetails elements in non-default languages
To avoid breaking compatibility with v2.4 while supporting multilingual person name and job information, a duplicative construct was added beneath Person to house the data in other languages
RIXML Research Data Dictionary v2.5.1, p.30
Semantic Relationships
Qualifies1 relationship
Alternative language container provides person name and job information in non-default languages
RIXML Release Notes v2.5, p.18— Toward improved globalization