# Data types - moving on some issues that are outstanding in the openEHR archetypes

**Category:** [Technical (archive)](https://discourse.openehr.org/c/technical-archive/156)
**Created:** 2004-11-03 00:55 UTC
**Views:** 3
**Replies:** 0
**URL:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/data-types-moving-on-some-issues-that-are-outstanding-in-the-openehr-archetypes/12026

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## Post #1 by @Sam

Dear Tom

The data types thing is on the move\. Issues that I think we should address in openEHR ASAP are:

DV\_Quantity
    precision \- should not be manditory
    units \- should be able to be empty string \- or optional as this is the only access to a REAL
DV\_Ordinal
    limits: mandatory \- are we always going to have access to this in data coming in?

And the DSTC issue\.\.\.\.

Should there be a new class for DV\_Quantity that uses Scientific notation\. They have implemented this \- I am concerned that it makes the unit more flexible and therefore more risky for clinical interpretation \(e\.g\. it would allow a number to be expressed as 2 \* 10^6 or 20 \*10^5  \- where as placing this in the unit restricts this\.

We need more input\.

Cheers, Sam

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**Canonical:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/data-types-moving-on-some-issues-that-are-outstanding-in-the-openehr-archetypes/12026
**Original content:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/data-types-moving-on-some-issues-that-are-outstanding-in-the-openehr-archetypes/12026