Use of free text for <event> and <instruction> preclude automated filtering

[Jeff Kyser <ktrails@comcast.net>]

Same as <geocode> - I originally posted this on the
cap-interop@lists.incident.com mailing list, but don't
see the conclusion of this thread within these lists.

Both <event> and <instruction> are required, but both
are also free text, making it very difficult to map these
fields to existing systems in an automated fashion.

The description for <event> says 'The text may use a
specified nomenclature if available.' but this would
require a priori knowledge by both producer and
consumer to be useful.

An <eventCode> element is provided, and could be
useful except that it is optional, and again does not
present any 'standard' set of codes to choose from.

Art Botterell replied at some point in the thread:

	'Coming up with a categorization scheme that's general enough
	for an all-hazards standard, yet specific enough to be useful, has
	proved harder than it looks.'

I will agree - but in an existing system where I am trying to something
as narrowly focused as trying to determine whether to issue a
'Shelter in Place' message versus an 'Evacuate' message, there
don't appear to be elements within the CAP message that I can
reliably parse without coordinating with the message producer.
This does tend to reduce general interoperability somewhat...

regards,

-jeff kyser
Warning Systems, Inc.