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Extending the Taxonomy System

The Records Manager Skill provides a flexible, extensible taxonomy system that allows you to customize document organization for your specific needs. This section guides you through extending the built-in system with custom entity types, taxonomies, and validation rules.

Overview

The taxonomy system uses a hierarchical inheritance model that allows for extensive customization while maintaining consistency and compliance:

Base Taxonomy → Country Guidelines → Entity Types → Custom Extensions

Key Concepts

  • Entity Types: Define the scope of your document organization (household, corporate, projects, trusts)

  • Document Types: Categorize specific kinds of documents within each entity

  • Tag Categories: Organize tags into logical groups for easier management

  • Retention Rules: Define how long documents should be kept based on legal and business requirements

  • Country Variations: Adapt taxonomies to local jurisdictional requirements

What You Can Extend

Extension Type Description Difficulty
Custom Entities Create new entity types beyond the built-in ones ⭐⭐
Custom Taxonomies Define document types, tags, and retention rules for your domain ⭐⭐⭐
Country Adaptations Modify existing taxonomies for your jurisdiction ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Validation Rules Add custom validation for document metadata ⭐⭐

Getting Started

  1. Choose Your Extension Path:

  2. Custom Entities - For new organizational scopes

  3. Custom Taxonomies - For specialized document management

  4. Validation - For quality assurance and compliance

  5. Understand the Inheritance Model:

  6. Base definitions provide common patterns

  7. Country guidelines add jurisdiction-specific rules

  8. Entity types define organizational boundaries

  9. Custom extensions personalize for your needs

  10. Test Your Extensions:

  11. Use the built-in validation commands

  12. Test with sample documents

  13. Verify retention calculations

Built-in Entity Types

The system comes with six pre-configured entity types:

Entity Type Description Supported Countries Features
Household Personal and family document management AU, US, UK Financial, medical, identity, pet records
Corporate Business document management AU Accounting, HR, compliance, corporate governance
Unit Trust Unit-based investment trust management AU Distributions, capital accounts, unit registry
Discretionary Trust Flexible distribution trust management AU Beneficiary management, streaming resolutions
Family Trust Family wealth management with FTE AU Family Trust Elections, 5-year retention rules
Project Time-bound project documentation AU Project phases, deliverables, milestones

Extension Workflow

graph TD
    A[Define Extension Goal] --> B[Choose Extension Type]
    B --> C{Extension Type}
    C -->|Custom Entity| D[Create Entity Type]
    C -->|Custom Taxonomy| E[Define Document Types & Rules]
    C -->|Country Adaptation| F[Modify Existing Taxonomy]
    C -->|Validation| G[Add Validation Rules]

    D --> H[Test Integration]
    E --> H
    F --> H
    G --> H

    H --> I[Deploy to Production]
    I --> J[Monitor Usage]
Use mouse to pan and zoom

Best Practices

1. Start with Existing Patterns

  • Leverage the built-in entity types when possible

  • Follow established naming conventions for tags and document types

  • Use existing tag categories as a foundation

2. Maintain Compliance

  • Document retention rules should align with legal requirements

  • Consult with legal professionals for jurisdiction-specific rules

  • Regularly review and update retention periods

3. Keep it Simple

  • Avoid over-complicating tag structures

  • Use consistent naming conventions

  • Limit the number of document types to essential categories

4. Test Thoroughly

  • Validate metadata suggestions with real documents

  • Test retention calculations with various dates

  • Verify search functionality with your new tags

Next Steps

Need Help?

If you need assistance with extending the taxonomy system:

  1. Review the examples in Custom Taxonomies
  2. Check the validation tools in Validation
  3. Examine the source code in the src/lib/ directory
  4. Open an issue on GitHub for specific questions

Last Updated: 2026-01-20