# Valid concept names: Can short names be duplicates?

**URL:** <https://talk.openmrs.org/t/valid-concept-names-can-short-names-be-duplicates/32937>\
**Category:** Open Concept Lab\
**Tags:** ocl-for-openmrs, concept, ocl\
**Created:** [March 31, 2021, 11:14pm UTC](https://talk.openmrs.org/t/valid-concept-names-can-short-names-be-duplicates/32937 "2021-03-31T23:14:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ball](https://talk.openmrs.org/user_avatar/talk.openmrs.org/ball/32/277_2.png) [@ball](https://talk.openmrs.org/u/ball)\
**Post date:** [March 31, 2021, 11:14pm UTC](https://talk.openmrs.org/t/valid-concept-names-can-short-names-be-duplicates/32937/1 "2021-03-31T23:14:43Z")

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With an earlier import of the PIH concept dictionary into OCL, we landed on a validation error.  
We have names appear as duplicates on the same concept when we use the same name for SHORT and another (fully specified, preferred, synonym). Is this valid?

With the old (non-OCL) concept management UI, it was not possible to have a concept name that was short AND preferred. We needed to do this for various applications which in some cases use preferred names (htmlform) and other times use short names (labs, reports).

Here are options:

1. Duplicate names are valid
2. The model allows that a concept name can be SHORT and preferred. (NOTE: It’s not possible that it’s SHORT and FULLY\_SPECIFIED) The old UI wouldn’t handle this and not sure how it would display.

Here’s an example that I found in CIEL, but the PIH dictionary has similar examples:

 ![image](https://talk.openmrs.org/uploads/default/original/2X/4/46cc358ebdc3ab9b625bdf47b02dcde33f14590b.png)

FYI @paynejd @akanter @burke

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**Author:** ![akanter](https://talk.openmrs.org/user_avatar/talk.openmrs.org/akanter/32/331_2.png) [@akanter](https://talk.openmrs.org/u/akanter)\
**Post date:** [April 1, 2021, 1:45pm UTC](https://talk.openmrs.org/t/valid-concept-names-can-short-names-be-duplicates/32937/2 "2021-04-01T13:45:27Z")

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I’d be open to discussing if anyone wants to join Concept Management Office Hours at 10 EDT/9 CDT today

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ball](https://talk.openmrs.org/user_avatar/talk.openmrs.org/ball/32/277_2.png) [@ball](https://talk.openmrs.org/u/ball)\
**Post date:** [April 1, 2021, 5:18pm UTC](https://talk.openmrs.org/t/valid-concept-names-can-short-names-be-duplicates/32937/3 "2021-04-01T17:18:49Z")

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Andy and I spoke this morning. It’s valid to have a duplicate concept name (same concept\_id and locale) if one is a short name.

In the PIH EMR dictionary, these are the counts for this: 74 (en), 24 (fr), 1 (ht).

I’m surprised this wasn’t an issue with the OCL validation with the CIEL dictionary.

FYI @paynejd @akanter .