Wiki source code of SDMX 3.1 Standards. Section 1. Summary of Major Changes and New Functionality

Version 13.3 by Helena K. on 2026/06/04 13:40

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1.1	1	{{box title="Contents"}}
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8.1	5	Revision History
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	7	(% style="width:991.835px" %)
	8	\|(% style="width:154px" %)Revision \|(% style="width:249px" %)Date \|(% style="width:586px" %)Contents
	9	\|(% style="width:154px" %)DRAFT 1.0\|(% style="width:249px" %)December 2024\|(% style="width:586px" %)Draft release updated for SDMX 3.1 for public consultation
	10	\|(% style="width:154px" %)1.0\|(% style="width:249px" %)May 2025\|(% style="width:586px" %)Public release for SDMX 3.1
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1.2	12	= 1. Overview =
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9.2	14	[[SDMX>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Statistical data and metadata exchange.WebHome]] 3.1 is a minor revision to the [[SDMX>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Statistical data and metadata exchange.WebHome]] 3.0 Standard which introduces a limited set of changes, which cover the following:
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1.5	16	Information Model
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9.2	18	* Support for [[Dataflows>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Dataflow.WebHome]] to reference a subset of [[Dimensions>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Dimension.WebHome]] from a [[Data Structure Definition>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Data structure definition.WebHome]]
13.2	19	* Simplification to Data Constraints
	20	* Addition of Availability Constraints
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1.5	22	Documentation
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9.2	24	Registering [[Reference Metadata>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Reference metadata.WebHome]] removed from documentation, to align with XML Registration object which is unable to reference a Metadata Provision, and REST API which is unable to query for registered [[reference metadata>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Reference metadata.WebHome]] sources.
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1.5	26	Breaking Changes
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9.2	28	* Remove [[version>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Version.WebHome]] property on [[Categorisation>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Categorisation.WebHome]]
	29	* Removal of Advanced [[Release Calendar>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Release policy - release calendar.WebHome]]
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1.5	31	Content of the Document
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9.3	33	The remainder of this document contains a summary of the changes. More detailed information can be found in the [[SDMX>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Statistical data and metadata exchange.WebHome]] 3.1 Technical Specifications, in particular:
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	35	Section 2 – Information Model
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	37	Section 5 – Registry Specification
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	39	Section 6 – Technical Notes
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9.3	41	[[SDMX>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Statistical data and metadata exchange.WebHome]] TWG GitHub for the REST API and the XML and JSON formats
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	43	= 2. Summary of Breaking Changes in 3.1 =
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3.2	45	Version 3.1 introduces breaking changes, in the model in the following areas:
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	47	== 2.1 Removal of Advanced Release Calendar ==
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13.2	49	The Data Constraint was simplified to become a cohesive structural [[artefact>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Artefact.WebHome]] focussed solely on the restriction of values that can be reported. As part of this remodelling the Advanced [[Release Calendar>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Release policy - release calendar.WebHome]] was removed as it does not play a restrictive role.
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	51	//Guidance for Implementors//
9.4	52	[[Reference Metadata>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Reference metadata.WebHome]] reported against a [[Dataflow>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Dataflow.WebHome]] and / or [[Provision Agreement>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Provision agreement.WebHome]] can be used as an alternative to the Advanced [[Release Calendar>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Release policy - release calendar.WebHome]].
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1.3	54	== 2.2 Removal of Version on Categorisation ==
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9.6	56	The [[Categorisation>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Categorisation.WebHome]] structural [[artefact>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Artefact.WebHome]] has no use case for undergoing [[version>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Version.WebHome]] changes, the [[version>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Version.WebHome]] was therefore removed.
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1.6	58	//Guidance for Implementors//
9.6	59	If multiple [[versions>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Version.WebHome]] of a [[Categorisation>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Categorisation.WebHome]] exist where the source or target differs, these [[Categorisations>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Categorisation.WebHome]] should be given a unique ID.
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1.3	61	= 3. Information Model =
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	63	The changes to the information model support two distinct use cases:
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10.2	65	1. Horizontally complex [[Data Structure Definitions>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Data structure definition.WebHome]] (DSDs)
13.2	66	1. Additional cohesion to the Data Constraints model
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	68	These changes are described in below.
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1.4	70	== 3.1 Horizontally Complex Data Structure Definitions ==
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13.2	72	An explanation of this use case, with additional details can be found under Section 6 - Technical Notes, under heading ‘10.3 Dimension Constraint’.
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	74	The following changes to the model have been made to satisfy this use case.
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1.9	76	Data Structure Definition
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10.3	78	The [[Data Structure Definition>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Data structure definition.WebHome]] has a new ‘evolving structure’ property, this is a Boolean property, when set to ‘true’ it indicates to the users of the [[DSD>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Data structure definition.WebHome]] that new [[Dimensions>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Dimension.WebHome]] may be added without the [[DSD>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Data structure definition.WebHome]] undergoing a change to its major [[version>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Version.WebHome]] number.
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1.9	80	Dataflow
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13.3	82	The [[Dataflow>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Dataflow.WebHome]] has a new Dimension Constraint property, which is used to reference a subset of [[Dimensions>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Dimension.WebHome]] which it uses from the referenced [[DSD>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Data structure definition.WebHome]].
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13.3	84	The Dimension Constraint fixes the [[Dimensions>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Dimension.WebHome]] of the [[Dataflow>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Dataflow.WebHome]] enabling the referenced [[DSD>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Data structure definition.WebHome]] to have new [[Dimensions>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Dimension.WebHome]] added without the need to change the major [[version>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Version.WebHome]] number.
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13.3	86	The Dimension Constraint property is only required if the [[DSD>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Data structure definition.WebHome]] sets the evolving structure property to true.
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1.4	88	== 3.2 Constraint Cohesion ==
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13.3	90	The Constraint model in [[SDMX>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Statistical data and metadata exchange.WebHome]] 3.1 has been made more cohesive by separating the Data [[Constraint>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Constraint.WebHome]] into two distinct structures; the Data [[Constraint>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Constraint.WebHome]] which describes reporting restrictions, and the Availability [[Constraint>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Constraint.WebHome]], which describes data content from a [[data source>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Data source.WebHome]]. In [[SDMX>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Statistical data and metadata exchange.WebHome]] 3.0 these distinctions were made using the ‘type’ property on a Data [[Constraint>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Constraint.WebHome]].
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10.4	92	Data Constraint
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10.4	94	The Data [[Constraint>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Constraint.WebHome]] has had the ‘type’ property removed; the Data [[Constraint>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Constraint.WebHome]] in [[SDMX>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Statistical data and metadata exchange.WebHome]] 3.1 is always used to describe restrictions on content for data reporting purposes.
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10.4	96	The attachment of the Data [[Constraint>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Constraint.WebHome]] in [[SDMX>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Statistical data and metadata exchange.WebHome]] 3.0 included [[Data Sources>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Data source.WebHome]], in [[SDMX>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Statistical data and metadata exchange.WebHome]] 3.1 these attachments have been removed as these are not relevant for restricting reported data.
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10.4	98	Availability Constraint
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13.1	100	The Availability [[Constraint>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Constraint.WebHome]] is a new Structure introduced to describe data that exists, it is generated in the response to the Availability REST API. It is not a maintained structure, and as such has no [[maintenance agency>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Maintenance agency.WebHome]], identity or [[version>>doc:sdmx:Glossary 2\.1.Version.WebHome]].