{{short description|Boolean value in metadata that may contain only the values true or false}} In metadata, an '''indicator''' is a Boolean value that may contain only the values '''true''' or '''false'''. The definition of an Indicator must include the meaning of a true value and should also include the meaning if the value is false.
If a data element may take another value to represent e.g. ''unknown'' or ''not applicable'', then a Code should be used instead of an Indicator, and the meanings of all possible values should be clearly defined.
The suffix '''Indicator''' is used in ISO/IEC 11179 metadata registry standard as a representation term.
==Example of Use of Indicator in XML== An example use of the Indicator suffix is if an XML document was required to contain the passing status of a Student in a statewide assessment. The data element would be:
{{mono|<nowiki><StudentPassedAssessmentIndicator>true</StudentPassedAssessmentIndicator></nowiki>}}
==Standards that use the indicator representation term== The following metadata registry standards use the term indicator * ebXML * NIEM * GJXDM
==See also== * Metadata * ISO/IEC 11179 * Representation term * Code
== References == https://web.archive.org/web/20110927233605/https://www.niem.gov/documentsdb/Documents/Technical/NIEM-NDR-1-3.pdf page 65 {{DEFAULTSORT:Indicator (Metadata)}} Category:Metadata Category:Representation term