Glossary
Kurztext and Langtext (short and long text)
Kurztext and Langtext are the two texts of every item in a German bill of quantities. The Kurztext is a one-line label, and the Langtext is the full description of the work with material, dimensions, norms and scope.
In short
Every LV item has a Kurztext and a Langtext, next to its Ordnungszahl. The Kurztext is one line, used in overviews, the price list and the offer.
The Langtext is the full, binding description of the work: material, dimensions, norms and scope.
In practice, when the two texts differ, the Langtext describes the work. The Kurztext is then only a label and is not enough on its own.
Example
For a panel radiator, the Kurztext reads „Flachheizkörper Typ 22, 600 x 1200“. The Langtext reads „Flachheizkörper Typ 22, Bauhöhe 600 mm, Baulänge 1.200 mm, weiß RAL 9016, inkl. Wandkonsolen.“ The short text names the product. The long text adds the height, the length, the colour and what is included, here the wall brackets. The Kurztext is what a reader sees first in a list. The Langtext is the place to check before a product is matched.
In GAEB DA XML, the Kurztext sits in the element OutlineText and the Langtext in DetailTxt. Both sit under Description and CompleteText. A bidder entry such as „Angebotenes Fabrikat: …“ sits in the Langtext as a TextComplement with the value Bidder in the attribute Kind.
Standardised Langtexte come from STLB-Bau or from manufacturers’ Ausschreibungstexte. In an X84 answer (Angebotsabgabe), the items carry no Kurz- or Langtext at all, only prices and bidder additions. The texts stay with the X83. A Werksanfrage to a manufacturer carries the Langtext too.
What to watch for
Match products on the Langtext, not on the Kurztext.
Read the whole Langtext, not only its first line.
Norms, dimensions and the scope of the work are in the Langtext. Words such as inkl. (included) mark what the scope covers.
Bidder fields such as „Angebotenes Fabrikat“ or „Fabrikat/Typ“ must be filled in. They record the product you offer against a named Leitfabrikat.
Not to be confused with
Kurztext in a list: a one-line name in an overview is not a complete description. For the work itself, read the Langtext.
Vorbemerkungen: general notes for a whole section or the whole LV. They are not the text of one item.
<Description><CompleteText>
<DetailTxt><Text>
<p>Flachheizkörper Typ 22, Bauhöhe 600 mm, Baulänge 1.200 mm,
weiß RAL 9016, inkl. Wandkonsolen.</p>
</Text></DetailTxt>
<OutlineText><OutlTxt><TextOutlTxt>
<p>Flachheizkörper Typ 22, 600 x 1200</p>
</TextOutlTxt></OutlTxt></OutlineText>
</CompleteText></Description>Related terms
Ordnungszahl (OZ, item number in a bill of quantities)
An Ordnungszahl (OZ) is the unique number of an item in a German bill of quantities. It shows where the item sits, for example 01.02.0030 for item 0030 under levels 01 and 02.
STLB-Bau (German standard specification texts)
STLB-Bau (Standardleistungsbuch für das Bauwesen) is a digital, dynamic text system with standard wording for VOB-compliant tender texts. Its texts are organised by trade.
Or equal (brand name or equal)
Or equal (brand name or equal) is a specification clause that names a product as the standard and allows an equal product that meets the salient characteristics stated in the specification. The offer has to identify the product it offers.
Positionsarten (item types in a German bill of quantities)
Positionsarten are the item types of a German bill of quantities, such as normal, base, alternative and provisional items. The type decides whether an item counts toward the bid total.
Leistungsbeschreibung (statement of work in a German tender)
A Leistungsbeschreibung describes the work being tendered. It is the umbrella term: a Leistungsverzeichnis, with quantities for each item, is one form of it, and a Leistungsprogramm, with goals and requirements, is the other.
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