# Inactivate Description in an Extension ## Inactivate Description in an Extension ## Purpose There are various reasons for inactivating descriptions in an extension, including: * The description does not represent the same meaning as the fully specified name (FSN) of the concept * The description is no longer current, useful, appropriate or acceptable * The description fails to comply with the current editorial guidance. For more information, please refer to [Terming and Naming Conventions](https://docs.snomed.org/snomed-ct-practical-guides/snomed-ct-extension-guide/5-key-steps/5.4-authoring/5.4.3-authoring-descriptions/5.4.3.3-inactivate-description-in-an-extension) in the Editorial Guide. * The description contains a technical error, such as a typographic error ## Principles ### Excluding Extension Descriptions Descriptions created in an extension can be inactivated if necessary. This is done by inactivating both the description itself and the associated member(s) of the relevant language reference set(s). It is recommended that the reason for inactivation is specified in the[ Description inactivation indicator attribute value reference set](http://snomed.info/id/900000000000490003) see [Component Inactivation Reference Sets](https://docs.snomed.org/snomed-ct-practical-guides/snomed-ct-extension-guide/5-key-steps/5.4-authoring/5.4.3-authoring-descriptions/broken-reference). ### Excluding International Descriptions Descriptions which belong to the International Edition (or another module on which the extension depends) should not be inactivated in the extension. If there is a requirement to remove international descriptions from an extension, this should be accomplished by excluding the given description identifiers from the relevant language reference set(s). Two possible approaches for this are described below. #### Copy and Adapt Language Reference Set This approach involves creating a copy of one of the language reference sets distributed with the International Edition, and adding or removing members as required. All members of the new language reference set must be assigned to a module in the extension. When using this approach, the extension producer is responsible for maintaining the new language reference set. If the extension producer wants their new language reference set to incorporate future changes made to the international language reference set, they are responsible for maintaining these changes. #### Adopt and Adapt Language Reference Set An extension producer may choose not to create a new copy of an international language reference set. Instead, they may use the international language reference set directly, and exclude any members of this reference set by inactivating the relevant members in their extension module. To exclude a description from an international language reference set, a new version of the reference set member is created with the following attributes: * *id* is set to the same value as that of the member of the international language reference set * *effectiveTime* is set to the release date of the extension\ \* Note that this date should be after the effectiveTime of the reference set member in the international release * *active* is set to '0' to indicate that the member is being inactived \_\ \_ * *moduleId* is set to a module in the extension * *refsetId* is set to the same value as that of the international language reference set * *acceptabilityId* is set to the same value as in the original member of the international language reference set Please note that if a new version of the reference set member is published in the International Edition, this will become the current version of that member. It may, therefore be necessary to create a new inactive version in the extension with a more recent effectiveTime. ## Process This table describes the process of excluding descriptions in an extension.
File TypeProcess
Description

To exclude descriptions in an extension, a new inactive version of the description is added to the description file.

The attributes of the new version of the description are set as follows:

  • id is set to the descriptionId of the description being inactivated
  • effectiveTime is set to the date the extension will be published
  • active is set to '0' to indicate that the description is being inactivated
  • moduleId is set to identify a module in the extension

The remaining attributes are set to the same value as in the previous version of the description.

Language Reference Set

A new row, which references the description to be excluded, with the following attribute values:

  • id is set to the same value as the reference set member being excluded
  • effectiveTime is set to the date the extension will be published
  • active is set to '0' to indicate that the reference set member is being inactivated
  • moduleId is set to identify a module in the extension

The remaining attributes are set to the same value as in the previous version of the reference set member.

Description inactivation indicator reference set

The | Description inactivation indicator attribute value reference set (foundation metadata concept)| represents the reason that each inactive description was inactivated.

When inactivating a description, it is good practice to specify the reason for inactivation in this reference set.

The | Description inactivation indicator attribute value reference set (foundation metadata concept)| allows extension consumers to understand the reason that each description was inactivated. Please visit Managing Component Inactivation for further information.

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