Point in Time
A pointInTime is a string that denotes a moment in time. It is used by the
identity properties created and modified to
record when an element came into being and when it was last changed. A pointInTime supports four
levels of precision, so a value can be as coarse as a year or as fine as a second.
Structure
- JSON type:
string - Accepted formats:
| Precision | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Year | YYYY | "2024" |
| Year-month | YYYY-MM | "2024-09" |
| Date | YYYY-MM-DD (full date) | "2024-09-04" |
| Date-time | full date-time | "2024-09-04T10:30:00Z" |
A value must match one of these forms. Choose the coarsest precision that faithfully captures what is known: recording only a year is perfectly valid when the exact day is unknown.
"2024-09-04T10:30:00Z"
A year-only value is equally valid:
"2024"
Where it is used
pointInTime records the temporal identity properties
carried by every element:
| Property | Shape | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
created | pointInTime or null | When the element was created. |
modified | pointInTime or null | When the element was last modified. |
Both are always present; an unknown value is
written as null.
pointInTime is one of the reusable datatypes; the others are
id, languageString,
resource, and point.