Why DEMCS™ Uses a Purely Enumerative System

A purely enumerative classification system is consistent. Everyone always knows how to interpret it. An enumerative system also meshes well with the standard files-in-folders data storage method. This may sound like a simplistic reason but this consistency makes DEMCS™ easy to use and easy to write software for. As stated in the goals of DEMML™, we believe that the world will derive more benefit from the standard if lots of third party developers can easily create lots of competing software.

While a faceted classification system would provide more flexibility, it would require a database type storage method with all the associated problems and expenses. Fortunately, for those intrigued by the flexibility of a faceted system, DEMML™ does not eliminate the possibility of using such a system. The DEMML™ schema allows additional classification codes to be associated with any item of content. Special software can then be devised to display the DEMML™ content using any organizational system desired. The content would remain in its original locations on the hard drive and the main DEMCS™ classification code would still be the primary classification code. But users would be able to associate and reorganize content in any way imaginable.

How DEMCS™ borrows from the Library of Congress Classification System

As stated above, LCC is a purely enumerative classification system. A lot of work has already been done to divide all human knowledge into distinct categories and assign codes to them. It would seem that the LCC would be perfect for DEMML™ and there should be no need for a different classification system. However, the LCC system just doesn't go far enough. The LCC is designed for books. Books have a lot of stuff in them. The LCC doesn't need to be able to distinguish between each and every very-specific topic in a subject. It only needs codes for the general subjects. What the LCC does need is a way to distinguish between similar books on the same subject. Lots of people write lots of books about almost the same things. The same author will even produce multiple different editions of the same book as time goes on. Most of the bulk of the LCC classification number is actually used to distinguish between all these different books about essentially the same thing.

So the first part of a LCC number is a useful starting point for DEMCS™ classification codes. All the work has already been done in creating these categories and their codes. Many people already know these codes, or at least the codes for the subjects that interest them. By reusing the top levels of LCC codes, DEMCS™ is even easier to learn and use. If a user needs to know where to look in DEMCS™ for a particular subject, all they need to do is look up that subject in the LCC system. What's more, if someone knows the DEMCS™ classification code for their topic, then they already know where to look in the library for more information. The resulting increase in general knowledge about the LCC system will be a boon to librarians everywhere.

Where we stand so far:

• DEMCS™ uses a branch, stem, and leaf metaphor to represent the hierarchical tree of educational content, with only one stem-full of leaves per language on each branch.
• Each branch is a folder that can have sub-folders
• Sub-folders for each child subject which can also have more sub-folders for more child subjects.
• Special sub-folders in each subject folder that can only hold content for that particular subject. There will be one of these for each language as necessary.
• An enumerative classification system must be used because content can only be stored in one folder.
• The first few levels of the coding system for these branches will use the same codes as the Library of Congress Classification system.
• Now we just need a way to encode the rest of the levels of the tree all the way down to very-specific topics.
  

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