One identity for the complete work
A book is more than a file or product listing.
An OPID identifies the work itself and remains connected to it as new formats, editions, translations, and corrections are published.
OPID
A book identity that keeps working as the book changes.
OPID gives every book and published edition a permanent identity that is not tied to one store, file, website, or company.
It connects the book to its editions, history, contributors, translations, related works, and verification information-so people can always understand what they are reading.
Every edition stays distinct
Each published edition receives its own identity.
Readers can cite the exact edition they used, while authors can continue improving the book without silently changing earlier releases.
Know that a book is authentic
Codal connects each published edition to a verifiable record of its content and files.
Readers, libraries, and archives can confirm that a downloaded copy matches the edition that was originally published.
Follow the book's history
OPID keeps a visible record when a book is updated, replaced, withdrawn, translated, adapted, or continued in a new edition.
Older releases do not disappear, and readers can be directed to the current version.
Connect related works
Translations, adaptations, revised editions, sections, and derivative works can remain linked to their source.
This makes it easier to understand how books are related and how ideas move across languages, editions, and communities.
Independent of any one platform
An OPID can travel with the book across websites, libraries, archives, applications, and independent mirrors.
The supporting record and portable book package allow the work to remain identifiable and verifiable even outside Codal.
The system behind OPID
OPID is supported by a public record of published editions, signed release information, portable book packages, and an independent verification process.
Together, these provide:
- permanent identification
- clear edition history
- verifiable files
- relationships between works
- portable records
- long-term preservation
The technical system stays in the background. Authors publish normally, and Codal creates and maintains the identity automatically.
More than a number
Traditional book identifiers were designed mainly to help organizations list, sell, or catalog a particular publication.
OPID is designed for books that continue to change.
It identifies the work, distinguishes its editions, preserves its history, connects related versions, and helps readers verify what they received.
Existing identifiers can still be attached to a Codal book when needed. They become useful connections to outside systems rather than the foundation that controls the book's identity.
Built for the life of a book
A book may be corrected, translated, adapted, printed, archived, or moved to a new platform. Its identity should survive all of those changes. OPID gives books a stable foundation for publishing today and remaining understandable in the future.