Last refreshed: 2026-07-06
Source: Dimensions shared structure, part of Linked Art API 1.0, published under CC BY 4.0. This is a project summary; the upstream page is authoritative.
Purpose
Dimensions combine a numeric value, a unit, and a classification describing what sort of measurement or count the value represents. They are common on physical things such as height and width, but the same structure can describe countable features on digital objects, textual works, people, and timespans.
Required Shape
A dimension structure includes:
- `type`: required. Must be `Dimension`.
- `value`: required numeric value.
- `unit`: required `MeasurementUnit` reference.
- `id`: optional URI identifying the dimension.
- `_complete`: optional completeness signal. If an `id` URI has richer dereferenceable information, `_complete: false` must be present.
Recommended Fields
- `_label`: developer-facing label.
- `classified_as`: classifications following the `Type` structure, such as height, width, weight, duration, or word count.
- `identified_by`: textual display form of the structured measurement, following the `Name` pattern.
Optional Fields
- `upper_value_limit`: highest possible value for the dimension.
- `lower_value_limit`: lowest possible value for the dimension.
- `referred_to_by`: references to textual works about the dimension, or embedded statements about the dimension.
- `assigned_by`: measurement activity following the `AttributeAssignment` pattern.
Common Incoming Relationships
- `dimension`: used by Physical Object, Digital Object, Textual Work, Person, Set, and other endpoint records for measurable or countable features.
- `duration`: used by `TimeSpan` structures when the dimension describes the duration of the actual timespan within the declared boundaries.
Meta Museum Notes
Meta Museum already preserves dimension arrays on physical, textual, digital, and set records. Existing coverage keeps structured measurement data separate from display labels: `value`, `unit`, `classified_as`, `identified_by`, and textual statements remain available to consumers. Future fixture work should add explicit uncertainty bounds and `assigned_by` measurement evidence so curator-measured dimensions remain auditable.
Test Ideas
- Preserve `Dimension.value`, `unit`, and `classified_as` for physical object measurements.
- Preserve `upper_value_limit` and `lower_value_limit` for uncertain measurements.
- Preserve `identified_by` display text without replacing structured value/unit data.
- Preserve `assigned_by` `AttributeAssignment` measurement evidence, including measuring type and responsible actor.
- Preserve `duration` dimensions on `TimeSpan` structures when supplied.
- Add a dereferenceable dimension `id` with richer detail available and verify `_complete: false`.