- The TEI is a modular system: you use it to build an
encoding scheme appropriate to your needs, by selecting
specific modules
- Each module defines a group of elements and attributes
- Elements are also classified structurally and
semantically
- semantic classes group elements which have similar meanings —
elements like names, or like editorial interventions for example
- structural classes group elements which behave similarly
in the structure — elements like paragraphs, or like phrases for
example
- we also talk of attribute classes: these group elements which
all have the same attributes
- attribute values may be constrained to be of a specific datatype
