<desc>

<desc> (description) contains a short description of the purpose, function, or use of its parent element, or when the parent is a documentation element, describes or defines the object being documented. [22.4.1 Description of Components]
Module core — Elements Available in All TEI Documents
Attributes att.global (@xml:id, @n, @xml:lang, @xml:base, @xml:space) (att.global.rendition (@rend, @style, @rendition)) (att.global.linking (@corresp, @synch, @sameAs, @copyOf, @next, @prev, @exclude, @select)) (att.global.analytic (@ana)) (att.global.facs (@facs)) (att.global.change (@change)) (att.global.responsibility (@cert, @resp)) (att.global.source (@source)) att.translatable (@versionDate) att.typed (type, @subtype)
type⚓ characterizes the element in some sense, using any convenient classification scheme or typology.
Derived from att.typed
Status Optional
Datatype teidata.enumerated
Suggested values include:
deprecationInfo
(deprecation information) This element describes why or how its parent element is being deprecated, typically including recommendations for alternate encoding.
<dataSpec module="tei"
 ident="teidata.point" validUntil="2050-02-25">
 <desc type="deprecationInfo"
  versionDate="2018-09-14" xml:lang="en">Several standards bodies, including NIST in the USA,
   strongly recommend against ending the representation of a number
   with a decimal point. So instead of <q>3.</q> use either <q>3</q>
   or <q>3.0</q>.</desc>
<!-- ... -->
</dataSpec>
Member of
model.descLike model.labelLike
Contained by
analysis: interp interpGrp spanGrp
certainty: certainty precision respons
core: add corr del desc ellipsis emph gap graphic head hi item l lg list listBibl media meeting note noteGrp orig p q quote ref reg said sic stage title unclear
dictionaries: case colloc def dictScrap entryFree etym form gen gram gramGrp hyph iType lang lbl mood number orth per pos pron stress subc syll tns usg xr
drama: camera caption castList epilogue performance prologue set sound tech view
figures: cell figDesc figure notatedMusic
gaiji: char charDecl glyph
header: application category change citeStructure handNote licence listChange listPrefixDef rendition schemaRef scriptNote tagUsage taxonomy unitDef
iso-fs: fDescr fsDescr
linking: ab altGrp join joinGrp linkGrp listAnnotation seg
msdescription: accMat acquisition additions collation condition custEvent decoNote filiation foliation layout musicNotation origin provenance signatures source summary support surrogates typeNote
namesdates: climate event listEvent listNym listObject listOrg listPerson listPlace listRelation location occupation org place population relation state terrain trait
nets: listForest
spoken: incident kinesic transcriptionDesc u vocal writing
tagdocs: attDef classSpec constraintSpec dataSpec elementSpec listRef macroSpec model modelGrp modelSequence moduleSpec paramSpec schemaSpec valItem
textcrit: lem listApp listWit rdg witness
textstructure: argument body div div1 div2 div3 div4 div5 div6 div7 docEdition epigraph imprimatur postscript salute signed titlePart trailer
transcr: damage listTranspose metamark mod restore retrace secl space substJoin supplied surface surplus
verse: rhyme
May contain
core: abbr address bibl biblStruct choice cit date desc distinct email emph expan foreign gloss hi label list listBibl measure measureGrp mentioned name num ptr q quote ref rs said soCalled stage term time title unit
dictionaries: lang
drama: camera caption castList move sound tech view
figures: table
header: biblFull idno
msdescription: catchwords depth dim dimensions height heraldry locus locusGrp material msDesc objectType origDate origPlace secFol signatures stamp watermark width
namesdates: addName affiliation bloc climate country district forename genName geo geogFeat geogName listEvent listNym listObject listOrg listPerson listPlace listRelation location nameLink objectName offset orgName persName persPronouns placeName population region roleName settlement state surname terrain trait
tagdocs: att classSpec code constraintSpec dataSpec eg egXML elementSpec gi ident listRef macroSpec moduleSpec outputRendition specGrp specGrpRef tag val
textcrit: listApp listWit
textstructure: floatingText
transcr: am ex subst
character data
Note

When used in a specification element such as elementSpec, TEI convention requires that this be expressed as a finite clause, begining with an active verb.
Example

Example of a desc element inside a documentation element.

<dataSpec module="tei"
 ident="teidata.point">
 <desc versionDate="2010-10-17"
  xml:lang="en">defines the data type used to express a point in cartesian space.</desc>
 <content>
  <dataRef name="token"
   restriction="(-?[0-9]+(\.[0-9]+)?,-?[0-9]+(\.[0-9]+)?)"/>
 </content>
<!-- ... -->
</dataSpec>
Example

Example of a desc element in a non-documentation element.

<place xml:id="KERG2">
 <placeName>Kerguelen Islands</placeName>
<!-- ... -->
 <terrain>
  <desc>antarctic tundra</desc>
 </terrain>
<!-- ... -->
</place>
Schematron A desc with a type of deprecationInfo should only occur when its parent element is being deprecated. Furthermore, it should always occur in an element that is being deprecated when desc is a valid child of that element.

<sch:rule context="tei:desc[ @type eq 'deprecationInfo']">
<sch:assert test="../@validUntil">Information about a
deprecation should only be present in a specification element
that is being deprecated: that is, only an element that has a
@validUntil attribute should have a child <desc
type="deprecationInfo">.</sch:assert>
</sch:rule>
Content model 
<content>
 <macroRef key="macro.limitedContent"/>
</content>
Schema Declaration 
<rng:element name="desc">
 <rng:ref name="att.global.attributes"/>
 <rng:ref name="att.global.rendition.attributes"/>
 <rng:ref name="att.global.linking.attributes"/>
 <rng:ref name="att.global.analytic.attributes"/>
 <rng:ref name="att.global.facs.attributes"/>
 <rng:ref name="att.global.change.attributes"/>
 <rng:ref name="att.global.responsibility.attributes"/>
 <rng:ref name="att.global.source.attributes"/>
 <rng:ref name="att.translatable.attributes"/>
 <rng:ref name="att.typed.attribute.subtype"/>
 <rng:optional>
  <rng:attribute name="type">
   <rng:choice>
    <rng:value>deprecationInfo</rng:value>
    <rng:ref name="teidata.enumerated"/>
   </rng:choice>
  </rng:attribute>
 </rng:optional>
 <rng:ref name="macro.limitedContent"/>
</rng:element>
element desc
{
   att.global.attributes,
   att.global.rendition.attributes,
   att.global.linking.attributes,
   att.global.analytic.attributes,
   att.global.facs.attributes,
   att.global.change.attributes,
   att.global.responsibility.attributes,
   att.global.source.attributes,
   att.translatable.attributes,
   att.typed.attribute.subtype,
   attribute type { "deprecationInfo" | teidata.enumerated }?,
   macro.limitedContent
}