govset Schema

A modern schema specification for standardizing government records and public sector data across jurisdictions.

Type Safe

Strongly typed schema definitions with built-in validation and error handling.

Extensible

Flexible architecture that supports custom extensions and jurisdiction-specific needs.

Version Control

Built-in versioning system with guaranteed backwards compatibility.

50+
Jurisdictions
1M+
Records Processed
99.9%
Validation Accuracy

Overview

The govset schema is designed to standardize government records across different jurisdictions and levels of government. It provides a flexible yet structured way to represent various types of government data.

Core Components

Jurisdiction Levels
JurisdictionLevel:
- federal
- state
- local
- tribal
- territorial
- international
Record Types
RecordType:
- legislation
- regulation
- judicial
- administrative
- financial
- transaction
- document
- meeting
- event

Metadata Structure

Every record contains metadata that provides essential information about the record:

Required Fields:
- identifier
- jurisdiction
- dates
- status
- classification
Optional Fields:
- relations
- attachments
- audit

Content Types

Structured Content

For formally structured data with specific schemas:

<content>
    <structured>
        <legislation>
            <title>Digital Government Standards Act</title>
            <sections>...</sections>
        </legislation>
    </structured>
</content>

Unstructured Content

For documents and text that don't follow a specific structure:

<content>
    <unstructured>
        <format>text/plain</format>
        <data>...</data>
    </unstructured>
</content>

Transactions

For recording events, changes, and financial transactions:

Transaction Elements:
- transactionId
- timestamp
- type
- parties
- amount (optional)
- details

Version Control

The schema supports versioning at multiple levels:

Note: All version changes maintain backwards compatibility through the previousVersion reference system.

Quick Start

Start using govset in your project with a few lines of code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <govset xmlns="http://schema.govset.org/v1"> <record type="legislation"> <metadata> <id>HR2023-1234</id> <jurisdiction>federal</jurisdiction> </metadata> </record> </govset>
Pro tip: Use our validation tools to ensure your records conform to the schema specification.

Community Driven

govset is built by and for the government data community. Join us in creating the future of public sector data standardization.

Open Source

MIT licensed and free to use in any project. Contributions welcome.

Active Community

Join discussions, report issues, and contribute to development.

Enterprise Ready

Production tested and battle-hardened in government systems.