SDD Part 0: Introduction and Primer to the SDD Standard

3.12 Attaching Media to SDD Items

3.12.1 Media resources in SDD.

The location of media in an SDD instance document is represented by a simple resource list. Media may include images (.jpeg, .png etc.), sound, video and web resources. SDD allows external references, embedded resource data, and provides for a multilingual caption.

Media items are defined within the <MediaObjects> element and simply referenced each time they are used elsewhere in an SDD instance document.

Simple SDD code for associated media has the basic structure shown below and in Example 3.12.1.1.

Example 3.12.1.1 - A simple SDD media dialog

    <MediaObjects>
      <MediaObject id="m1">
        <Representation>
          <Label>Image description, e. g., to be used for alt-attribute in html.</Label>
        </Representation>
        <Type>Text</Type>
        <Data href="file:/Media/Html/Gleditsia_triacanthos.htm"/>
      </MediaObject>
      <MediaObject id="m2">
        <Representation>
          <Label>No caption</Label>
        </Representation>
        <Type>Image</Type>
        <Data href="file:/Media/Images/Gleditsia triacanthos.jpg"/>
      </MediaObject>
    </MediaObjects>

The location of locally stored media objects is defined relative to the SDD instance document.

The <Representation> element provides a label for the media object. This may be useful if the instance document includes multiple descriptions for different purposes, or is intended for publication in multiple languages (see the topic Language support in SDD.

<Owners> refers to a person, persons or institution defined in the SDD <Agents> element.

<IPRStatements> records the original source of media (for example the full citation for a publication). and any restrictions on useage. May contain URL to IPR statements external to the SDD instance document.

Media items are defined once and referenced for each useage. Multiple media items of different types may be referenced for an item.

Example 3.12.1.2 - Referencing media

  <Dataset>

    <TaxonNames>
      <TaxonName id="t1">
        <Representation>
          <Label>Gleditsia triacanthos</Label>
          <MediaObject ref="m1"/>
          <MediaObject ref="m2"/>
        </Representation>
      </TaxonName>
    </TaxonNames>
    <Characters>
      <CategoricalCharacter id="c1">
        <Representation>
          <Label>Armature</Label>
        </Representation>
        <States>
          <StateDefinition id="s1">
            <Representation>
              <Label>armed</Label>
              <MediaObject ref="m3"/>
              <MediaObject ref="m4"/>
            </Representation>
          </StateDefinition>
        </States>
      </CategoricalCharacter>
    </Characters>
<MediaObjects>
   ... media dialog goes here
</MediaObjects>

  </Dataset>

Associated information may include captions, web addresses and translations. Media may be directly embedded in the SDD code instead of referenced with a URL.

Example 3.12.1.3 - Associated information for embedded media

      <MediaObjects>
         <MediaObject id="m1" uri="urn:lsid:local:local:129739128">
            <Representation>
               <Label>Image description, e. g., to be used for alt-attribute in html.</Label>
            </Representation>
            <Owners>
               <Agent ref="a1" role="own "/>
            </Owners>
            <Type>Image</Type>
            <Data href="http://test.edu/test.jpg"/>
         </MediaObject>
         <MediaObject id="m2">
            <Representation>
               <Label>Morning call of Homo sapiens</Label>
            </Representation>
            <Type>Sound</Type>
            <Data href="http://test.edu/123.mp3"/>
         </MediaObject>
         <MediaObject id="m3">
            <Representation>
               <Label>Melampsora evonymi-caprearum</Label>
               <!-- Details like Caption are optional -->
               <Detail role="Caption" xml:lang="fr"><i>Melampsora evonymi-caprearum</i> Kleb., stade II sur <i>Salix caprea</i>L.</Detail>
               <Detail role="Caption" xml:lang="de"><i>Melampsora evonymi-caprearum</i> Kleb., Sporenstadium II auf <i>Salix caprea</i> L.</Detail>
               <Detail role="Caption" xml:lang="en"><i>Melampsora evonymi-caprearum</i> Kleb., spore stage II on <i>Salix caprea</i> L.</Detail>
            </Representation>
            <Type>Image</Type>
            <!-- Optionally Resources may be included rather than referencenced through URIs. 
           An additional href specifying the source of the encoded resource is optional (in addition to the encoded content) -->
    <EncodedData ContentType="image/png"  href="http://test.edu/Melampsora_evonymi-caprearum.png">R0lGODlhcgGSALMAAAQCAEMmCZtuMFQxDS8b</EncodedData>
         </MediaObject>
      </MediaObjects>

Available "roles" within the <Detail> element are; Abstract, Caption, Coverage, Description, Normative and UnknownDetailRole.

If resources are included within the SDD instance document they should be directly encoded, i.e. not wrapped into a MIME object first.

-- DonovanSharp - 05 Jun 2006