Re: [ebxml-bp] BPSS 1.01 XML Schema element referencing with idandname issue

[Sacha Schlegel <sacha_oasis@schlegel.li>]

Hi David

On Sat, 2003-11-22 at 01:45, David RR Webber wrote:
> Sacha,
> 
> The way I've implemented this in VisualScript models is to use
> them as cross-referencing - assuming the name is the human
> friendly detail, and the ID is the shorthand notation for
> cross-referencing.
> 
> So as you add business documents to your BPSS model
> then go over and start to add business steps - those
> documents show up as choices for the user to select
> in the step.   Display the names as part of the choices,
> and then key off the IDs for the software.
> 
> You can auto-generate IDs for the user if you do
> not want them to have to mess with those.
> 

Makes sense so far.

Its purely an XML style, I guess. No doubt the user should not deal with
IDs. Let me explain in an example:

<Sample>
  <Foo name="MyFoo" ID="foo_id"/>
  <Bar name="MyBar" ID="bar_id" fromFoo="ABC" fromFooID="foo_id"/>
</Sample>

I do not understand why Bar must have fromFoo AND fromFOOID. One is
redundant, I think. One is enough and the better one is fromFooID, IMO.
Using globally unique ID's is even better.

If you have to present to the user what Bar references, then you can get
the name of Foo my searching for the ID of Foo. I think XML Parsers
and/or XPath treat IDs specially for validation and for easy/quick
search (actually not sure about this). Not a XML parser handles GUID
similarly to ID. I think it is rather XML style or there are good
reasons why to use both.

I see the need to make sure that ID's and names dont clash when
importing/including other data or even that they have to be globally
unique and hence using GUID/GUIDREF. You then even can have something
like MD5 Checksums associated with XML elements with GUID so you could
check the integrity of an element by comparing the checksum...

> It also allows you to have the same business document
> name - but say different schema or CAM templates
> associated with it - and the software is able to distinguish
> the references OK.

Sorry I dont get this one. Might be a different story. Having a XML
instance which is valid for different schemas? Never thought of that...

Thanks

Sacha


> 
> Does this make sense?
> 
> Thanks, DW.
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Sacha Schlegel" <sacha_oasis@schlegel.li>
> To: <ebxml-bp@lists.oasis-open.org>
> Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2003 9:19 AM
> Subject: Re: [ebxml-bp] BPSS 1.01 XML Schema element referencing with idand
> name issue
> 
> 
> > Hi bp group
> >
> > OK I have a sample of the name and ID issue:
> >
> > <ProcessSpecification ...>
> >   ...
> >   <BusinessDocument name="ABC" nameID="ABC_ID">
> >   ...
> >   ...
> >   <BusinessTransaction name="Trans1" nameID="Trans1_ID">
> >     <RequestingBusinessActivity name="ReqBizA" nameID="ReqBizA_ID" ...>
> >
> >       <!-- here the BusinessDocument gets referenced -->
> >       <!----------------------------------------------->
> >       <DocumentEnvelope businessDocument="ABC"
> > businessDocumentIDREF="ABC_ID" .../>
> >
> >
> >     </RequestingBusinessAcitivty>
> >     ...
> >   </BusinessTransaction>
> >   ...
> > </ProcessSpecification>
> >
> >
> > I did not read up on any "How to engineer XML documents", or UBL's
> > "Rules how to write an XML Schema" ...
> >
> > Kind regards
> >
> > Sacha
> >
> > On Thu, 2003-11-20 at 21:49, Sacha Schlegel wrote:
> > > Hi bp group
> > >
> > > Studing the BPSS XML Schema from the "ebXML Business Process
> > > Specification Version 1.01" I came across the following issue:
> > >
> > > Whenever an element X references another element Y there is a) the name
> > > (required) of element Y AND b) the ID (optional) of element Y given as
> > > an attribute of the X element.
> > >
> > > Sample from 1.01 Appendix A:
> > >
> > > ....actually the sample bpss of 1.01 does not use ID's at all but only
> > > names...
> > >
> > > Looking at the 1.1 BPSS still the name attribute and the ID attribute
> > > are in elements.
> > >
> > > To me, only the ID attribute makes sense as with the ID I can get to the
> > > name of the element. Or even having only one, the ID or the name. Having
> > > both, the name AND ID, this invites to have logically invalid BPSS XML
> > > instance documents.
> > >
> > > If this issue has been addressed in a post 1.01 version then please
> > > ignore this email.
> > >
> > > Kind regards.
> > >
> > > Sacha
> > -- 
> > ------------------------------------------------
> > Sacha                                   Schlegel
> > ------------------------------------------------
> > 4 Warwick Str, 6102 St. James, Perth,  Australia
> > sacha@schlegel.li                www.schlegel.li
> > public key:            www.schlegel.li/sacha.gpg
> > ------------------------------------------------
> >
> >
> 
> 
> 
> 
> !DSPAM:3fbe4f59101291758211259!
-- 
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Sacha                                   Schlegel
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4 Warwick Str, 6102 St. James, Perth,  Australia
sacha@schlegel.li                www.schlegel.li
public key:            www.schlegel.li/sacha.gpg
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