Concept

Identifier Relationships

Beyond composition (one identifier containing another), PubID models relationships between separate identifiers. These capture how documents relate to each other across their lifecycle.

Overview

Relationships are expressed in parenthetical annotations on the identifier. A single document may have multiple relationships:

ANSI N42.18-2004 (Reaffirmation of ANSI N42.18-1980; Redesignation of ANSI N13.10-1974)

Relationship Types

Revision Of

A new edition that replaces a previous version of the same document.

Example	Meaning
`IEEE Std 802.3-2018 (Revision of IEEE Std 802.3-2015)`	2018 edition revises the 2015 edition

Reaffirmation Of

A document confirmed as current without technical change.

Example	Meaning
`ANSI N42.18-2004 (Reaffirmation of ANSI N42.18-1980)`	2004 edition reaffirms the 1980 edition
`ANSI C57.12.22-1993 (R1998)`	1993 edition reaffirmed in 1998

Supersedes

A document that replaces a previous, possibly differently-numbered document.

Example	Meaning
`IEEE Std X-2020 (Supersedes IEEE Std Y-2010)`	New document replaces the old one entirely

Incorporates

A document that includes the content of another standard.

Example	Meaning
`IEEE Std 1234-2020 (Incorporates IEEE Std 5678-2015)`	Standard includes content from another

Adoption Of

A publisher’s version of another organization’s standard.

Example	Meaning
`IEEE Std C37.60-2005 (Adoption of IEC 62271-111)`	IEEE adopts the IEC standard

Redesignation Of

A document renumbered under a new identifier.

Example	Meaning
`ANSI N42.18-2004 (Redesignation of ANSI N13.10-1974)`	Same content, new number

Previously Designated As

The inverse of redesignation — the old name for a renamed document.

Example	Meaning
`IEEE Std X-2020 (Previously designated as IEEE Std Y-2010)`	Formerly known by a different number

Multiple Relationships

A single identifier can carry multiple relationships, separated by semicolons:

ANSI N42.18-2004 (Reaffirmation of ANSI N42.18-1980; Redesignation of ANSI N13.10-1974)

This document is simultaneously a reaffirmation of one standard and a redesignation of another.

Publisher Support

Publisher	Revision	Reaffirmation	Supersedes	Incorporates	Adoption	Redesignation
IEEE/ANSI	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
ISO	Via edition tracking	—	—	—	—	—
IEC	Via edition tracking	—	—	—	—	—

IEEE maintains the richest set of explicit relationships, tracked as structured data in the PubID model.