I believe, at least in MODS 3.3, the location element is allowed to have
element only content. So <location>British Library</location> would simply
be invalid.
The "mixed content" the guidelines are describing are things like:
<location>The <physicalLocation>British
Library</physicalLocation></location>
where the an element has both data and element child nodes. A technical
constraint against nested structures is going to pose problems for
processing MODS because, as exemplified above, the schema relies heavily
by design on nested structures.
Hope this helps.
/Terry
On Wed, 9
Dec 2009, Rhonda Marker wrote:
> Neil,
>
> Sure, you can put content in the top-level "location" element in your AP.
> What you cannot do (according to the MODS guidelines and good metadata
> practice) is mix-and-match: put content (data) in BOTH <mods:location> AND
> <mods:location><mods:physicalLocation> in your AP.
>
> MODS User Guidelines Version 3, Introduction and Implementation, XML
> Structures: "Content of elements are included in the lowest level elements so
> as to avoid "mixed content", which is when some elements contain character
> data interspersed with child elements."
>
> Rhonda Marker
> Repository Collection Manager
> Rutgers University Libraries
>
> Neil Godfrey wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> We have a query re the use of the top-level "location" element in an
>> application profile.
>>
>> Is it "legal" to use the "location" element as a stand-alone element --
>> that is, not as a container for a subelement such as "url" or
>> "physicalLocation" etc.? That is:
>>
>> <mods:location>British Library</mods:location>
>>
>> The reason this is under consideration is a technical restraint we are
>> facing that prohibits nested structures.
>>
>> None of us has been able to point to any example of this type of use. All
>> sample records we have encountered use "location" as a container element.
>>
>> And we are divided over how to interpret what we read in the "rules" and
>> "guidelines" on LOC's MODS pages.
>>
>> We would appreciate clarification on this.
>>
>> Many thanks,
>> Neil Godfrey
>>
>> Singapore National Library
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
Terry Catapano
Special Collections Analyst/Librarian
Columbia University Libraries Digital Program
212-854-9942
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