This document is a technical guide that deals with the attribute inheritance and context mechanisms in the SEDRIS DRM, as well as associated functions.

It is recommended that the following documents from the SEDRIS Technology Documentation Set (see Section 1.2) be reviewed prior to reading this document.

• Part 3: SEDRIS Basics
  
  
• Part 4, Volume 1: Technical Overview
  
  
• Part 4, Volume 2: The SEDRIS Data Representation Model
  
  
• Part 4, Volume 3: Examples of Using the Data Representation Model
  
  
• Part 4, Volume 12: Application Programmer's Interface Overview

This document is part of a larger set of overview and technical documents on SEDRIS, the Technology Documentation Set. The Technology Documentation Set describes the why, what, and how of SEDRIS.

The Technology Documentation Set, listed below, is available at the SEDRIS web site (www.sedris.org). An overview of the contents of each "part" of the documentation set is provided in Part 1. A detailed description of the individual "volumes" contained in Part 4 is provided in Volume 1.

• Part 1: Introduction to SEDRIS and the Technology Documentation Set
  
  
• Part 2: SEDRIS and The Synthetic Environment Domain
  
  
• Part 3: SEDRIS Basics
  
  
• Part 4: Technical Reference Set
  • Volume 1: Technical Overview
  • Volume 2: The SEDRIS Data Representation Model
  • Volume 3: Examples of Using the Data Representation Model
  • Volume 4: Topology Technical Guide
  • Volume 5: Control Link Technical Guide
  • Volume 6: Data Tables Technical Guide
  • Volume 8: Images and Colour Models Technical Guide
  • Volume 9: Attribute Inheritance and Context Technical Guide (This document)
  • Volume 10: Environmental Data Coding Specification (EDCS) Reference Manual
  • Volume 11: SRM Reference Manual
  • Volume 12: Application Programmer's Interface Overview
  • Volume 13: How to Extract Data from SEDRIS Transmittals
  • Volume 14: How to Produce SEDRIS Transmittals
  • Volume 15: SEDRIS Transmittal Format Description
  • Volume 16: Guide to the Build Kit
  • Volume 17: SEDRIS Reference Manual
  • Volume 18: Reference Implementation Listings
  
  
• Part 5: Tools and Utilities User's Guide Set
• Volume 1: Browser User's Guide
• Volume 2: Checker User's Guide
• Volume 3: Depth User's Guide
• Volume 4: Feature Viewer User's Guide
• Volume 5: Model Viewer User's Guide
• Volume 6: Netscape Plug-In User's Guide
• Volume 7: Ocean Profile User's Guide
• Volume 8: SEE-IT User's Guide
• Volume 9: Side-By-Side Viewer User's Guide
• Volume 10: Wind Map User's Guide
• Volume 11: API Implementations and Format Conversions User's Guide
• Volume 11: API Implementations and Format Conversions User's Guide

Throughout the SEDRIS Technology Documentation Set, special conventions and notations are implemented in the written text of documents to distinguish between and add emphasis to various computer-related or SEDRIS-specific terms. The table below defines these conventions and notations.