Gellish: an information representation language, knowledge base and ontology

Data storage and data communication lack a common standard widely applicable data model as well as a common data language and knowledge base with a taxonomy of concepts and a grammar for data exchange messages. We present a solution to this problem in the form of the new "open" industry standard Gellish language and knowledge base, as a further development of the standard data model and ontology of two new ISO standards. We state that Gellish is a suitable language for neutral data exchange between systems. The definition of Gellish includes the public domain ("open data") Gellish knowledge base (STEPlib) with definitions of a large number of concepts and product models. This provides an ontology with standard reference data for customization of systems in a standardized way to be prepared for data harmonization, data integration and data exchange. It illustrates that a single table database or data exchange file format, the Gellish table format, is sufficient to express a wide range of kinds of facts about classes as well as facts about individual objects so that it can replace data models.