# DATA\_VALUE

**URL:** <https://discourse.openehr.org/t/data-value/16170>\
**Category:** Technical (archive)\
**Created:** [6 June 2009 08:31 UTC](https://discourse.openehr.org/t/data-value/16170 "2009-06-06T08:31:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Masoumeh\_Seydi](https://discourse.openehr.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Masoumeh\_Seydi](https://discourse.openehr.org/u/Masoumeh_Seydi)\
**Post date:** [6 June 2009 08:31 UTC](https://discourse.openehr.org/t/data-value/16170/1 "2009-06-06T08:31:21Z")

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> Dear All,  
> I have a question about DATA\_VALUE class in data types:  
> Why all of the data types should be inherited from DATA\_VALUE? What’s the usefulness of this pattern?  
>   
> Thanks in Advance  
> Masoumeh  
> |

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**Author:** ![thomas.beale](https://discourse.openehr.org/user_avatar/discourse.openehr.org/thomas.beale/32/35_2.png) [@thomas.beale](https://discourse.openehr.org/u/thomas.beale)\
**Post date:** [6 June 2009 11:06 UTC](https://discourse.openehr.org/t/data-value/16170/2 "2009-06-06T11:06:25Z")

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The DATA\_VALUE class can be used anywhere you want to allow any kind of  
data value. In openEHR, ELEMENT.value is of type DATA\_VALUE. This is  
typically constrained to particular subtypes in archetypes.

- thomas beale

Masoumeh Seydi wrote:  
\> Dear All,  
\> I have a question about DATA\_VALUE class in data types:  
\> Why all of the data types should be inherited from DATA\_VALUE? What's  
the usefulness of this pattern?