What is BS EN 61360‑1 - Standard data element types for electronic components about?  
The IEC 61360 series as a whole specifies a general purpose dictionary of technical terms covering the field of electrotechnology, electronics and related domains.
BS EN 61360‑1 is an international standard that discusses standard data element types with an associated classification scheme.
BS EN 61360‑1 specifies principles for the definition of the properties and associated attributes and explains the methods for representing verbally defined concepts with appropriate data constructs available from IEC 61360-2.
The use of BS EN 61360‑1 facilitates the exchange of technical data through a defined structure for the information to be exchanged in a computer-sensible form. Each property to be exchanged has an unambiguously defined meaning and consistent naming, where relevant a defined value list, a prescribed format, and defined units of measure for all quantitative values. There is also provision for:
- Control of changes to definitions of the properties through version and revision numbers
- Inclusion of notes and remarks to clarify and help in the application of the definitions
- Indication of the sources of definitions and value lists
- Associated figures and formulae.
Note: IEC TCs and SCs, or other organizations can take this document as a basis for the development of their own dictionaries.
Note: Out of the scope of BS EN 61360‑1 are subjects concerning the information technology infrastructure such as:
- Security
- Database locking mechanisms
- Access rights management
Who is BS EN 61360‑1 - Standard data element types for electronic components for? 
BS EN 61360‑1 on standard data element types is useful for: 
- Manufacturers of electric and electromechanical components
- Information technology industry
- Engineers
- Data integration professionals
- Software developers and programmers
Why should you use BS EN 61360‑1 - Standard data element types for electronic components?  
BS EN 61360‑1 addresses domain engineers and provides a detailed introduction to the structure of the dictionary and its uses from the viewpoint of the dictionary provider as well as from the viewpoint of the user of the dictionary.
Referencing to a common dictionary is advantageous in all cases where product information has to be transferred in an unambiguous way. Use cases include catalogues, ordering processes, product information contained in specifications or contracts.
BS EN 61360‑1 also specifies principles for establishing a hierarchy of classification from a collection of classes, each of which represents a technical concept in the electrotechnical domain, or a domain related to electrotechnology.
The IEC Common Data Dictionary (IEC CDD) contains a collection of classes and properties. All information objects in a dictionary are uniquely identified including a version identifier as a record of significant changes to a dictionary object. This enables a version control for each dictionary object. And the identification of a dictionary object is therefore not dependent on a publication of the whole dictionary at a particular point in time.
As a result, by using the dictionary, applications can interact and share data in an unambiguous way free from semantic uncertainties.
What’s changed since the last update? 
BS EN 61360‑1:2017 supersedes BS EN 61360‑1:2010, which will be withdrawn on 20 December 2020. BS EN 61360‑1:2017 includes some technical changes with respect to BS EN 61360‑1:2010. These include: 
- Support of advanced constructs such as conditions and constraints, blocks, cardinality, polymorphism, generic and restricted enumerations, and mapping
- Extended list of data types
- Harmonization with IEC 62656-1
- Support of IEC TS 62720 and of coded units
- Harmonization of semantic and administrative data among the various information objects
- Use of UML for data modelling
- Introduction of examples of higher-level constructs such as block, cardinality, or polymorphism as guidance for the user of the IEC 61360 series
