====== Modeling of product types ======
====== 1. Universal search and data integration ======

Product types are manufacturer specific subtypes of general concepts. Therefore they are also called manufacturers models or brands. Designs of large facilities and specialized equipment are typically once-of designs. This means that a model is made of an imaginary individual thing and that imaginary product is realized by making a materialized real object that corresponds with the design. When series of products of the same kind are fabricated, then the design is usually generalized and given a product type identifier, typically as a product type code. The product type (the identifier) and its distinguishing characteristics are typically included in a product catalogue of the manufacturer or supplier.\\

Nowadays product catalogues are usually made searchable via the websites of the suppliers. However, it is currently not possible to express one universal query that searches for product types in different systems of multiple suppliers and that reports the combined results in one report. Neither is it possible to integrate selected resulting models directly in someones own models, such as in designs. This is caused by the fact that every manufacturer and supplier uses its own data structure, terminology and corresponding software for storage, searching and reporting.\\
**Universal search**, combined reporting and direct integration of product type models in users models, becomes possible by modeling product types in one of the Gellish formal languages. This is demonstrated by the Gellish Communicator software.\\


Models of product types are extended definition models in which the product types may by definition be composed of particular kinds of parts and/or in which a number of characteristics are defined to have specific values or a limited range of (distinct) values. Models of product types are thus collections of statements that express that some product type //has by definition as part a// particular kind and/or //has by definition as aspect a// kind of characteristic with a particular value. This means that Gellish expressions will be used which phrases typically start with <is by definition...> or <has by definition...>. However, not all aspects of product types need to be specified completely, because there may still be some degrees of freedom (options) left open. For example, a product type may have a well defined form and material of construction, but the color of a product of such a type is a free choice.

====== 2. Modeling of product types ======

Manufacturers models 

For more information on how to create product type models in Gellish see the book 'Semantic Information Modeling Methodology'.

**//Continue with//** [[:Correct Gellish English]]