Copyright ©2009 XBRL International Inc., All Rights Reserved.
Circulation of this Recommendation is unrestricted. This document is normative. Recipients are invited to submit comments to formula-feedback@xbrl.org, and to submit notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are aware and provide supporting documentation.
This specification is defines a syntax for an XML resource that contains information about an XBRL function. Such resources can be referenced from the XBRL function registry.
1 Geoff Shuetrim:
When published as a recommendation, there could be a URL for
the function registry document here.
1 Introduction
1.1 Background
1.2 Relationship to other work
1.3 Language independence
1.4 Terminology
1.5 Document conventions (non-normative)
1.6 Namespaces and namespace prefixes
2 Syntax
2.1 Function definition
2.1.1 Element: lastUpdated
2.1.2 Element: owners
2.1.3 Element: summary
2.1.4 Element: documentation
2.1.5 Element: reference
2.1.6 Element: signature
2.1.6.1 Element: input
2.1.6.2 Element: output
2.1.7 Element: error
2.1.8 Element: example
2.1.9 Element: conformance-test
2.1.10 Element: revisions
A Normative schema
B References
C Intellectual property status (non-normative)
D Acknowledgements (non-normative)
E Document history (non-normative)
F Errata corrections in this document
1 Namespaces and namespace prefixes
This specification is defines a syntax for an XML resource that contains information about an XBRL function. Such resources can be referenced from the XBRL function registry. [Geoff Shuetrim: When published as a recommendation, there could be a URL for the function registry document here. ]
This specification is intended to support the creation, maintenance, and publication of XBRL function definitions.
The official language of XBRL International's own work products is English and the preferred spelling convention is UK English.
This specification is consistent with the definitions of any of the terms defined in specifications that it depends on.
Documentation conventions follow those set out in the XBRL Variables Specification [VARIABLES].
Namespace prefixes [XML NAMES] will be used
for elements and attributes in
the form ns:name where ns is the
namespace prefix and name is the local name.
Throughout this specification, the mappings
from namespace prefixes to actual namespaces is consistent
with
Table
1.
The prefix column in Table 1 is non normative. The namespace URI column is normative.
| Prefix | Namespace URI |
|---|---|
fcn
|
http://xbrl.org/2008/function
|
fcne
|
http://xbrl.org/2008/function/error
|
xml
|
http://www.w3.org/XML/1998/namespace
|
xlink
|
http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink
|
This specification only provides a textual declaration of syntax constraints when those constraints are not expressed by the normative schema supplied with this specification.
Explanations of elements and attributes are only supplied when explanations are not already provided in other specifications.
Unless explicitly stated otherwise, a reference to a specific element MUST be read as a reference to that element or to any element in its substitution group .
A function definition is an XML resource with the
<fcn:function>
element as its root.
Function definitions are intended to be referenced by registry entries.
Any attribute in the XML namespace (http://www.w3.org/XML/1998/namespace) MAY be
used on any element within a function definition.
The
@xml:lang attribute MAY be used to indicate the language used to express
information in the registry, as per the XML Specification [XML].
The
@xml:base attribute MAY be used when resolving URIs
as per the XML Base Specification [XMLBASE].
The
<fcn:lastUpdated>
element
contains a
@moment attribute whose value is the
instant on which the function definition was last updated.
The
<fcn:owners>
element
contains one or more
<reg:owner>
elements, as defined in the XBRL registry specification [REGISTRY].
Each owner is a person with responsibility for maintaining the function definition.
The optional
<fcn:documentation>
element
contains either a URL that resolves to documentation of the function or it contains
XHTML [XHTML] markup documenting the function.
If the documentation is provided as a URL, then the URL is specified using a
<reg:url>
element that conforms to
the registry documentation syntax rules..
The
<fcn:reference>
element
contains a link to a a part of a specification that is relevant to the function
being defined.
The
<fcn:reference>
element
contains an
@xlink:type attribute that equals simple and
an
@xlink:href attribute that contains a URI that MUST
resolve to the part of the specification being referenced.
The
<fcn:reference>
element MAY contain string content documenting
the nature of the resource that the URL is linking to.
A function definition MAY contain several references, if the function is related to several aspects of a specification or several specifications.
The
<fcn:signature>
element
contains the signature of the function being defined.
The
@name attribute on the function signature contains
the QName that uniquely identifies the function.
The
@output attribute on the function signature contains
the data type of the output expected from
the function. In function signatures, data type names follow those
used in XQuery 1.0 and XPath 2.0 [].
A function signature MAY also contain one or more
<fcn:input>
elements that specify each
of the function's parameters. There MUST be one such
element for each parameter. The document order of the elements
MUST match the order of the parameters as they are used in
calls to the function being defined.
The
<fcn:input>
element
summarises an input parameter for the function being defined.
The
@name attribute on the function signature contains
a name for the parameter.
The
@type attribute on the function signature contains
the parameter's data type.
XHTML content of the
<input>
element can be used to provided additional explanation
of the parameter.
The
<fcn:output>
element
summarises the output of the function being defined.
The
@type attribute on the function signature contains
the parameter's data type.
XHTML content of the
<output>
element can be used to provided additional explanation
of the function output.
If a function is misused, it may be necessary to produce an error message.
These messages are defined by the
<fcn:error>
elements that follow the
function signature.
The
<fcn:error>
element
contains information about an error that MUST be thrown under
specific circumstances when a function is called.
The XHTML content of the
<fcn:error>
element defines the circumstances
under which the error is required to be thrown.
The
@code attribute contains the QName that uniquely identifies the error.
The
<fcn:example>
element
can be used to provide an example of function usage.
The
@title attribute contains the title of the example.
The
@usage attribute contains the example function usage.
The XHTML content of the
<fcn:example>
element explains the result of such usage.
The
<fcn:conformanceTest>
element
contains a link to a conformance suite test that MUST be passed
by software claiming to implement the function being defined.
The
<fcn:conformanceTest>
element
contains an
@xlink:type attribute that equals simple and
an
@xlink:href attribute that contains a URI that MUST
resolve to the conformance test resource.
The
<reg:revisions>
element
conforms to the XBRL registry specification [REGISTRY].
The following is the XML schema provided as part of this specification. This is normative. Non-normative versions (which should be identical to these except for appropriate comments indicating their non-normative status) are also provided as separate files for convenience of users of the specification.
NOTE: (non-normative) Following the schema maintenance policy of XBRL International, it is the intent (but is not guaranteed) that the location of non-normative versions of these schemas on the web will be as follows:
http://www.xbrl.org/2008/ - during the drafting process for
this specification this directory should contain a copy of the
most recent published version of the schema at
http://www.xbrl.org/2008/function.xsd.
This document and translations of it may be copied and furnished to others, and derivative works that comment on or otherwise explain it or assist in its implementation may be prepared, copied, published and distributed, in whole or in part, without restriction of any kind, provided that the above copyright notice and this paragraph are included on all such copies and derivative works. However, this document itself may not be modified in any way, such as by removing the copyright notice or references to XBRL International or XBRL organizations, except as required to translate it into languages other than English. Members of XBRL International agree to grant certain licenses under the XBRL International Intellectual Property Policy (www.xbrl.org/legal).
This document and the information contained herein is provided on an "AS IS" basis and XBRL INTERNATIONAL DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTY THAT THE USE OF THE INFORMATION HEREIN WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY RIGHTS OR ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
The attention of users of this document is directed to the possibility that compliance with or adoption of XBRL International specifications may require use of an invention covered by patent rights. XBRL International shall not be responsible for identifying patents for which a license may be required by any XBRL International specification, or for conducting legal inquiries into the legal validity or scope of those patents that are brought to its attention. XBRL International specifications are prospective and advisory only. Prospective users are responsible for protecting themselves against liability for infringement of patents. XBRL International takes no position regarding the validity or scope of any intellectual property or other rights that might be claimed to pertain to the implementation or use of the technology described in this document or the extent to which any license under such rights might or might not be available; neither does it represent that it has made any effort to identify any such rights. Members of XBRL International agree to grant certain licenses under the XBRL International Intellectual Property Policy (www.xbrl.org/legal).
This document could not have been written without the contributions of many people including the participants in the FWG.
| Date | Author | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 17 January 2008 | Geoff Shuetrim |
First internal working draft created. |
| 29 January 2008 | Geoff Shuetrim |
Added in element documentation to the initial skeleton draft based on the normative schema. |
| 30 January 2008 | Geoff Shuetrim |
Relaxed the requirement that data types for function signatures be expressed as QNames given the need to deal in sequences. |
| 31 January 2008 | Geoff Shuetrim |
Adapted hyperlinks to use XLink simple link syntax. |
| 04 February 2008 | Geoff Shuetrim |
Added error code details and created more structure for information about input parameters of the function being defined. |
This appendix contains a list of the errata that have been incorporated into this document. This represents all those errata corrections that have been approved by the XBRL International FWG up to and including 22 June 2009. Hyperlinks to relevant e-mail threads may only be followed by those who have access to the relevant mailing lists. Access to internal XBRL mailing lists is restricted to members of XBRL International Inc.
No errata have been incorporated into this document.