Define Constraints

An important option for the editing of Element Properties is the option to add constraints. In Forge you can add one or more constraints to an element. This section shows how to place cardinality constraints, edit element types and valueset bindings. In addition, with Forge it is also possible to specify the Constraint Key, Requirements, Severity, Description, and XPath expression.

Cardinality

Adjusting the cardinality of an element might be the backbone in profiling FHIR. Forge offers the five most used cardinality options as a shortcut but it is also possible to enter the desired cadinality values in de ‘Element Properties’ as shown in the screenshot below. Note that profiles may only further restrict the base resource. For example, it is not allowed to make the maximum cardianlity greater than the base Resource’s maximum cardinality. Forge shows a warning message when this happens.

Set element cardinality in Forge

Element Type

Some elements in the FHIR specification contain multiple data types. For example, the element ‘value[x]’ in the Observation resource. In your profile, it is possible to constrain this to the desired data type(s). Forge allows you to place these constraints in the Element Properties by checking only the wanted datatypes. The screenshot below shows the unconstraint Type situation of the ‘value[x]’ element in the Observation resource. It is also possible to provide a custom datatype by entering the URI of the datatype profile after the checked Type. A Type can also be a reference to another Resource profile. Forge automatically gives the profile as a Type option if the profile is opened in the session explorer and the profile’s base Resource fits the element.

Setting valueset binding in Forge

Setting Observation.value[x] types in Forge

Setting valueset binding in Forge

Setting Observation.subject reference type in Forge

Valueset binding

Some elements can be constrained with a valueset. A valueset can be added or edited under ‘Valueset binding’ in the ‘Element Properties’. Here you can provide the valueset binding strength, description and the reference to the valueset. Note that you cannot relax the base Resource binding strength. The value must be equal to or strichter than the base value.

Setting valueset binding in Forge

Inline constraints

FHIR allows you to constrain an element type by specifying a custom (external) datatype or resource profile. Forge has always allowed you to specify a profile url on an element type. But now, when you open a profile, Forge also tries to resolve the external type profile and merge it into your own profile.

Note: Forge does not (yet) dynamically resolve external profiles while you are editing an element type. For now, you have to manually (save and) reload the profile to enable to see and constrain (!) the expanded external type profiles.

This feature allows you to specify inline constraints that “walk into” elements defined by external type profiles.

Setting an inline constraint on an element in Forge

This behavior also applies to Extension Definitions, as technically they are also external type profiles. Suppose you author a profile with an extension element. The profile extension element is mapped to a common Extension definition. Now when you open the profile in Forge, the application will try to resolve the target extension definition and merge it into your profile. Now you can define inline constraints on child elements of the extension in your profile to override constraints in the underlying extension definition.

Setting an inline constraint on an extension in Forge