Worked Product Holons¶

Part III — Worked Product Holons¶

7. Product Holon construction pattern¶

The worked examples use the following identifiers. Digital Link AI (01) paths and GDSN GTIN values use GTIN-14 representation.

7.1 Logical construction algorithm¶

For a product identifier:

1. resolve the product record and GPC Brick;
2. retain the classification ancestor chain;
3. collect populated Brick-scoped GPC facts;
4. collect applicable GDSN facts selected by the profile;
5. preserve structured records and units;
6. attach provenance and version information;
7. validate the instance graph;
8. link parent or child Product Holons where required;
9. release only after validation and publication policy checks.

7.2 Cheese (Frozen), Brick 10000030¶

The real generated shape contained six GPC properties:

The following example uses the real opaque GDSN CURIEs reported in the supplied shape where available. Nested logical property names are retained for readability where the baseline did not reproduce every opaque identifier.

{
  "@id": "https://example.com/01/09506000134352",
  "@type": ["gpc:10000030", "gdsn:c863999331"],
  "gpc:20000031": "GOUDA",
  "gpc:20000192": "FIRM/SEMI-HARD",
  "gpc:20003080": "DIRECT CONSUMPTION",
  "gpc:20003081": "SEMI-HARD CHEESE",
  "gdsn:a-1292425203": "09506000134352",
  "gdsn:a812659001": "Pasteurised milk, salt, rennet, cheese cultures.",
  "gdsn:a212299678": 0.30,
  "gdsn:allergenRelatedInformation": {
    "gdsn:allergen": {
      "gdsn:allergenTypeCode": "ML",
      "gdsn:levelOfContainmentCode": "CONTAINS"
    }
  },
  "gdsn:nutrientHeader": {
    "gdsn:nutrientDetail": [
      { "gdsn:nutrientTypeCode": "ENERC", "gdsn:quantityContained": 1500 },
      { "gdsn:nutrientTypeCode": "FAT", "gdsn:quantityContained": 28 },
      { "gdsn:nutrientTypeCode": "PRO-", "gdsn:quantityContained": 24 },
      { "gdsn:nutrientTypeCode": "NA", "gdsn:quantityContained": 620 }
    ]
  }
}

The values are illustrative. The shape makes Sharpness and Origin optional, so leaving them absent is distinct from asserting a value.

7.3 Smartphones, Brick 10001198¶

The supplied shape defined:

• gpc:20002603 — Input Registration: QWERTZ/QWERTY KEYBOARD, REDUCED PHONE KEYBOARD, TOUCHSCREEN;
• gpc:20001127 — System: 1 G, 2 G, 2.5 G, 3 G.

Illustrative Product Holon:

{
  "@id": "https://example.com/01/00195950643718",
  "@type": ["gpc:10001198", "gdsn:c863999331"],
  "gpc:20002603": "TOUCHSCREEN",
  "gpc:20001127": "3 G",
  "gdsn:a-1292425203": "00195950643718",
  "gdsn:a212299678": 0.15
}

The supplied product identifier is GTIN-13 0195950643718. The Digital Link AI (01) path and the GDSN value above use its zero-padded GTIN-14 representation, 00195950643718. The enumeration’s lack of 4G and 5G is a source-model limitation. It must be governed as a model issue rather than corrected silently in generated shapes.

7.4 Beer, Brick 10000159¶

The supplied shape excerpt included:

• Colour of Beer;
• Style of Beer;
• Flavoured or mixed status;
• Type of Beer;
• Origin of Beer;
• Taste.

Illustrative Product Holon:

{
  "@id": "https://example.com/01/00083783000085",
  "@type": ["gpc:10000159", "gdsn:c863999331"],
  "gpc:20003020": "AMBER",
  "gpc:20000170": "INDIA PALE ALE (IPA)",
  "gpc:20002868": "NO, BEER ONLY",
  "gpc:20000017": "ALE",
  "gpc:20000502": "UNITED KINGDOM - ENGLAND - KENT",
  "gpc:20002973": "BITTER",
  "gdsn:a-1292425203": "00083783000085",
  "gdsn:a812659001": "Water, Malted Barley, Hops, Yeast.",
  "gdsn:a212299678": 0.25,
  "gdsn:allergenRelatedInformation": {
    "gdsn:allergen": {
      "gdsn:allergenTypeCode": "BA",
      "gdsn:levelOfContainmentCode": "CONTAINS"
    }
  }
}

The source baseline used BA as a valid code but did not independently confirm its human-readable expansion. The example therefore does not assert an expansion beyond the code itself.

The supplied Beer identifier is the valid GTIN-14 00083783000085. It is used unchanged in the Digital Link AI (01) path and GDSN value.

7.5 Sugar/Sugar Substitutes, Brick 10000043¶

The supplied shape defined one Brick-specific property, Type of Sugar/Sugar Substitute. An illustrative Product Holon is:

{
  "@id": "https://example.com/01/04005500023340",
  "@type": ["gpc:10000043", "gdsn:c863999331"],
  "gpc:20000172": "SUCROSE",
  "gdsn:a-1292425203": "04005500023340",
  "gdsn:a812659001": "Sugar (100% sucrose).",
  "gdsn:a212299678": 0.40,
  "gdsn:nutrientHeader": {
    "gdsn:nutrientDetail": [
      { "gdsn:nutrientTypeCode": "ENERC", "gdsn:quantityContained": 1700 },
      { "gdsn:nutrientTypeCode": "FAT", "gdsn:quantityContained": 0 },
      { "gdsn:nutrientTypeCode": "PRO-", "gdsn:quantityContained": 0 },
      { "gdsn:nutrientTypeCode": "NA", "gdsn:quantityContained": 0 }
    ]
  }
}

An explicit zero is an assertion. An omitted nutrient is not equivalent to zero.

The earlier illustrative Sugar identifier ended in an invalid check digit. This release corrects it to valid GTIN-14 04005500023340; it remains illustrative and is not an assertion about an actual commercial product.

7.6 Compote classification example, Brick 10000217¶

The supplied classification code 30000728 is not a GPC Brick identifier. It is the GPC Attribute Value COMPOTE for Attribute 20000118, Type of Jam/Marmalade, within Brick 10000217, Jams/Marmalades (Shelf Stable). The Product Holon is therefore normalised to Brick 10000217 while retaining 30000728 as the controlled Attribute Value.

No generated SHACL shape for Brick 10000217 was supplied with the original evidence set. This example demonstrates product-instance normalisation only; it does not claim that a Brick-specific generated shape has been executed or validated for this category. Because no authoritative product master-data record was supplied, COMPOTE is retained as an illustrative, user-supplied classification value and requires brand-owner verification before it is treated as product truth.

{
  "@id": "https://example.com/01/05000119096753",
  "@type": ["gpc:10000217", "gdsn:c863999331"],
  "gpc:20000118": "COMPOTE",
  "gdsn:a-1292425203": "05000119096753"
}

The supplied product identifier is GTIN-13 5000119096753. The Digital Link AI (01) path and GDSN value use its valid zero-padded GTIN-14 representation, 05000119096753. No ingredients, nutrition, claims or other product assertions have been invented for this example.

7.7 Milk hierarchy example — Whole Milk, GTIN 05000169015254¶

The supplied GTIN 05000169015254 is a valid GTIN-14. The hierarchy supplied with the example is preserved below as request provenance, but it is not used unchanged as the verified GPC classification because several supplied codes conflict with GS1 GPC source material.

Official GS1 mapping material places 50000000 at Segment level, 50130000 at Family level, 50131700 at Class level and 10000025 at Brick level for perishable milk. Code 10000236 is used for a Nuts/Seeds prepared/processed Brick rather than a milk Brick. The label Milk - Cow's (Fresh) is therefore retained as a human-readable description of the requested product example, not asserted as the official label of Brick 10000236.

The requested Brick characteristics are retained as illustrative facts:

• Fat content = Whole;
• Packaging type = Plastic bottle.

No GPC Attribute Type or Attribute Value identifiers were supplied for those characteristics, and no generated SHACL shape for Brick 10000025 was part of the evidence set. The example therefore does not invent GPC Attribute codes. It uses generic schema:PropertyValue records until the applicable Brick-scoped GPC attributes and controlled values are resolved from the authoritative GPC release.

{
  "@context": {
    "gpc": "gpc:",
    "gdsn": "gdsn:",
    "schema": "https://schema.org/",
    "example": "https://example.com/holon-evidence/"
  },
  "@id": "https://example.com/01/05000169015254",
  "@type": ["gpc:10000025", "gdsn:c863999331"],
  "gdsn:a-1292425203": "05000169015254",
  "example:gpcHierarchy": [
    { "level": "Segment", "@id": "gpc:50000000", "label": "Food/Beverage/Tobacco" },
    { "level": "Family", "@id": "gpc:50130000", "label": "Milk/Butter/Cream/Yogurts/Cheese/Eggs/Substitutes" },
    { "level": "Class", "@id": "gpc:50131700", "label": "Milk/Milk Substitutes" },
    { "level": "Brick", "@id": "gpc:10000025", "label": "Milk (Perishable)" }
  ],
  "schema:additionalProperty": [
    {
      "@type": "schema:PropertyValue",
      "schema:name": "Fat content",
      "schema:value": "Whole",
      "example:mappingStatus": "User-supplied illustrative value; GPC Attribute identifier unresolved"
    },
    {
      "@type": "schema:PropertyValue",
      "schema:name": "Packaging type",
      "schema:value": "Plastic bottle",
      "example:mappingStatus": "User-supplied illustrative value; GPC Attribute identifier unresolved"
    }
  ]
}

The generic property representation is deliberate: it preserves the requested facts without misrepresenting unverified labels as governed GPC Attribute Type or Attribute Value identifiers. A later generated Brick 10000025 SHACL profile can replace these generic records with GPC-native predicates and controlled values once those identifiers have been verified.

7.8 Cross-Brick comparison of the selected GDSN shape¶

The four supplied TradeItemGDSNShape blocks were reported as identical. The selected properties were:

This fixed profile demonstrates cross-category reuse but also exposes irrelevant food-oriented slots for Smartphones. It should be treated as a reference profile, not the final architecture.

7.9 Evidence that the selected shape is too narrow¶

The mapping output contained cheese-relevant GDSN attributes absent from the fixed selected shape, including:

• isRindEdible;
• fatInMilkContent;
• cheeseMaturationPeriodDescription;
• maturationMethod;
• sourceAnimal.

This supports a modular approach: a small cross-category core plus category- and use-case-specific GDSN modules.

7.10 Variety packs¶

The source baseline reported 338 GPC Variety Pack Bricks. The product-level pattern is:

• the pack has its own GTIN and one Variety Pack Brick;
• each constituent item has its own GTIN, Brick and Product Holon;
• GDSN trade-item hierarchy relationships link parent and children;
• quantities and component counts remain explicit;
• each child remains independently validated and resolvable.

This is analogous to nested holons but should not be confused with a claim that GPC alone models every component relationship.