Constraint

Specification of a subset of the possible content of data or metadata that can be derived from the code lists used in a data or metadata structure.

A constraint can be of a variety of types.

A Content Constraint specifies either the “allowable content” (used to restrict the values allowed when data or metadata are reported or exchanged), or the “actual” content (series keys and/or dimension and attribute values present in a data source). In each of these cases the constraint specifies a sub set of the full cube of data that could theoretically be present according to the specification of the Data Structure Definition or Metadata Structure Definition.