# Which code in code_string symbol for DV_ORDINAL?

**Category:** [Technical (archive)](https://discourse.openehr.org/c/technical-archive/156)
**Created:** 2011-03-16 17:40 UTC
**Views:** 1
**Replies:** 4
**URL:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/which-code-in-code-string-symbol-for-dv-ordinal/12554

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## Post #1 by @Leonardo_Moretti

I'm wondering how to set code\_string value for a DV\_ORDINAL\.

Having a DV\_ORDINAL a structure like this:
<items archetype\_node\_id="at0004\.1" xsi:type="ELEMENT">
<name>
<value>Element name</value>
</name>
<value xsi:type="DV\_ORDINAL">
<value>5</value>
<symbol>
<value>Description 5</value>
<defining\_code>
<terminology\_id>
<value>local</value>
</terminology\_id>
<code\_string>???</code\_string>
</defining\_code>
</symbol>
</value>
</items>

which information should I use in code\_string of DV\_ORDINAL element? The integer value or the atxxxx
code?

For example, if I defined an ordinal element as
ELEMENT\[at0004\.1\] occurrences matches \{0\.\.1\} matches \{    \-\- Igiene Personale
     value matches \{
         5|\[local::at0\.15\],     \-\- Description 5
         4|\[local::at0\.14\],     \-\- Description 4
         3|\[local::at0\.13\],     \-\- Description 3
         2|\[local::at0\.12\],     \-\- Description 2
         1|\[local::at0\.11\]     \-\- Description 1
     \}
\}

has code\_string to be set with at0\.1x codes or with integer  values \(1, 2, 3, 4, 5\)?

Thanks for your help\!
Regards

leo

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## Post #2 by @thomas.beale

Leonardo,

In this case, since terminology_id = 'local', code_string will be some string like 'at0.13' (based on your extract below). If the terminology_id had been SNOMEDCT_2009_01_01 then code_string has to be a SNOMED CT code... and so on.

- thomas

[details="(attachments)"]

![OceanInformaticsl.JPG|183x82](upload://2lcnRHcC3QqDv6AeaDZuo8M9Qlv.jpeg)

[/details]

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## Post #3 by @Leonardo_Moretti

Thank you Thomas,
I have clear how to use terminology\_id and code for DV\_CODED\_TEXT, but here
I'm wondering if I can use the ordinal \(integer\) value as coded value in a
DV\_ORDINAL, like in this example \(note: <code\_string>5</code\_string>\):

<items archetype\_node\_id="at0004\.1" xsi:type="ELEMENT">
  <name>
    <value>Element name</value>
  </name>
  <value xsi:type="DV\_ORDINAL">
    <value>5</value>
    <symbol>
    <value>Description 5</value>
    <defining\_code>
      <terminology\_id>
        <value>local</value>
      </terminology\_id>
      <code\_string>5</code\_string>
    </defining\_code>
    </symbol>
  </value>
</items>

Ragards
leo

Thomas Beale\-3 wrote:

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## Post #4 by @Peter_Gummer1

Leonardo Moretti wrote:

> I have clear how to use terminology\_id and code for DV\_CODED\_TEXT,
> but here
> I'm wondering if I can use the ordinal \(integer\) value as coded
> value in a
> DV\_ORDINAL, like in this example \(note: <code\_string>5</code\_string>\):
> \.\.\.
>      <terminology\_id>
>        <value>local</value>
>      </terminology\_id>
>      <code\_string>5</code\_string>

No, Leonardo, you can't do that\. The ordinal's value and the code
string are different things\. The code string must be a member of the
terminology\. In your example, the terminology is "local", which means
that it's an at\-code\.

Imagine that the coded text used a different terminology\. Imagine that
this terminology had codes like "1", "2", "3", "4", "5", etc\. If this
was your terminology, then of course your code string could be "5"\.

\- Peter

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## Post #5 by @ian.mcnicoll

Hi Leonardo,

You can use a local terminology-id but do not use 'local' for the terminology name, which is reserved name meaning that internal atcodes are being used.

So this would be valid, I think ...

> <terminology_id>
> <value>leonardoCT</value>
> </terminology_id>
> <code_string>5</code_string>

Ian

Dr Ian McNicoll
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fax +44 (0)1536 516317
mobile +44 (0)775 209 7859
skype ianmcnicoll
[ian.mcnicoll@oceaninformatics.com](mailto:ian.mcnicoll@oceaninformatics.com)

Clinical analyst, Ocean Informatics, UK
openEHR Clinical Knowledge Editor [www.openehr.org/knowledge](http://www.openehr.org/knowledge)
Honorary Senior Research Associate, CHIME, UCL
BCS Primary Health Care [www.phcsg.org](http://www.phcsg.org)

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**Canonical:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/which-code-in-code-string-symbol-for-dv-ordinal/12554
**Original content:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/which-code-in-code-string-symbol-for-dv-ordinal/12554