ISO 24156-1:2014

Overview

ISO 24156-1:2014 - Graphic notations for concept modelling in terminology work and its relationship with UML - Part 1: Guidelines for using UML notation in terminology work - provides practical guidance on using a subset of UML symbols (via a user-defined UML profile) to represent concepts and concept relations produced by concept analysis. The standard defines how UML graphic notation can be re-used, independent of standard UML semantics, to produce ISO-compliant concept diagrams and concept models for terminology work.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope and purpose
  • Use a restricted set of UML symbols as graphic representations of terminological concepts, not to replace UML semantics.
  • Promote consistent concept modelling that can feed information, data and software modelling.
• Mapping UML to terminological concepts
  • Adopt the UML class symbol to represent a concept (designation in top compartment; characteristics in the lower compartment).
  • Use UML notation for concept systems (concept models) while keeping semantics aligned with ISO 1087-1 and ISO 704.
• Attributes vs characteristics
  • Distinguish UML attributes (generalization notation) and characteristics (generic relations) as used in terminology.
  • The UML class bottom compartment for operations is not used in ISO 24156-1.
• Criteria of subdivision and generalization sets
  • Represent criteria of subdivision with UML generalization sets (common arrowhead or dashed-line notation) and display the full wording of subdivision criteria.
• Constraints and multiplicity
  • Apply UML multiplicity and constraint notation to express semantic restrictions and cardinality in concept models.
• Deliverables in the standard
  • A user-defined UML profile and an informative Annex A table mapping ISO 1087-1 concepts to UML symbols.

Practical applications and who uses it

ISO 24156-1 is valuable for:

• Terminologists developing formal concept diagrams and concept systems.
• Information architects, ontology engineers and knowledge managers aligning terminological models with information and data models.
• Standards developers and technical writers creating consistent concept representations across standards documentation.
• Software and data modelers who need to transform concept models into machine-readable formats for information modelling or software development.

Practical uses include producing ISO-compliant concept diagrams, integrating terminology with UML-based modelling tools, and enabling clearer handoffs between terminology work and information/data modelling.

Related standards

• ISO 1087-1 (terminology vocabulary)
• ISO 704 (terminology principles and methods)
• ISO/IEC 19505‑1 and ISO/IEC 19505‑2 (UML infrastructure and superstructure)
• ISO 10241-1 (terminological entries in standards)

Keywords: ISO 24156-1, UML profile, concept modelling, terminology work, concept diagrams, ISO 1087-1, ISO 704, multiplicity, generalization set, constraints.