Proposal on participant, and also participantType and roleType

Dear Colleagues,
 
Please find attached a proposal on the definition and use of the participant
concept in CDL.
 
In addition to this proposal I would also like to raise the following (and I
admit that I am partially responsible for the current state of affairs
having raised the possibility of adding participantType and roleType to the
language):
 
We currently seem to have 'fallen between the stools' with regard to
participantType and roleType with a participantType being defined as
consisting of one or more roles (not roleTypes) - section 2.3.2.  My
original idea was to define participantType(s) as consisting of one or more
roleTypes, and to define roleTypes as they currently are, but then to
instantiate / specialise participants from the participantTypes.
Participants would consist of specific roles (which would be of a roleType).
Thus you could specify a generic distributor participantType (perhaps having
3 'standardised' roleTypes of 'talkToBuyer', 'talkToSupplier' and
'talkToShipper') and then make specific participants DistributorA,
Walmartdistribution, or, if we support instances distributor[N].
 
If the idea of having participantTypes and then having 'instances' of those
types is now considered a step to far for version 1 CDL then I suggest that
we go with participant and role and be very careful with the use of the word
"type" in the sentences that contain these words.
 
When the group decides on the principles here I will offer to propose
precise text changes.
 
Best Regards     Tony
A M Fletcher
Tel: +44 (0) 1473 729537   Mobile: +44 (0) 7801 948219
 amfletcher@iee.org       (also tony_fletcher@btopenworld.com)