Proposal: Enhance database fields

[Daniel Vogelheim <Daniel.Vogelheim@sun.com>]

Hi all,

attached is a proposal to change database fields. Currently, database 
fields have a database-name attribute to identify the database. 
Additionally, we want to allow
1) an XLink to an actual database file, or
2) a connection resource (e.g. a JDBC pseudo-URL)
Because of the XLink, the new attributes are in a child element, instead 
of  the actual field element themselves.

Sincerely,
Daniel

File Format Change Proposal

Enhance Database Fields: support database URLs and Resources, 17 May 2004

Document identifier:

04-05-17-DatabaseField.sxw

Editors:

Daniel Vogelheim <Daniel.Vogelheim@sun.com>.

1Text Fields

1.1Context of the file format change

Previously, text fields that refer to databases contain a 'database name', which refers to a data source elsewhere. This assumes a centralized repository of database connections. This should be extended to support:

1. database name - as is already supported

2. database URL - location of a database file

3. database connection resource - pseudo-URL containing data base connection info (e.g. jdbc-URLs)

1.1.1Required changes to OASIS Open Office 1.0 Schema

This section describes changes that must be applied to the [OO] schema in order to integrate the proposed file format change.

Relax-NG Schema Prefix

The schema language used within this specification is Relax-NG (see [RNG]).

Prefix for the normative Relax-NG schema:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<!--

OpenOffice.org 2.0 DatabaseField

17 Mai 2004

Relax-NG Schema

© 2004 Sun Microsystems, Inc.

-->

<grammar xmlns="http://relaxng.org/ns/structure/1.0">

<include href="office-strict-schema-1.0-cd-1.rng">

Required Changes

Those text fields that would formerly accept the text:database-name attribute would now accept either the text:database-name attribute, or have a child element <form:datasource>, which contains either an XLink referencing a file containing the database or a text:database-resource attribute which contains information on how to make a connection to a database (e.g. through a JDBC pseudo-URL).

(changes marked bold)

<define name="field-database-table">

<interleave>

<ref name="field-database-name"/>

<attribute name="text:table-name">

<ref name="string"/>

</attribute>

<optional>

<attribute name="text:table-type">

<choice>

<value>table</value>

<value>query</value>

<value>command</value>

</choice>

</attribute>

</optional>

</interleave>

</define>

Database Field data source

A database source cen be specified in one of three forms:

1. The name of a database. This is specified as a text:database-name attribute on the field itself.

2. A database URL. This is specified as an XLink that references a data base file. The XLink is on a <form:datasource> child element.

3. A database connection resource. This is specified as a form:connection-resource attribute on a <form:datasource> child element.

<define name="field-database-name">

<choice>

<attribute name="text:database-name">

<ref name="string"/>

</attribute>

<element name="form:datasource">

<attribute name="xlink:href">

<ref name="anyURI"/>

</attribute>

</element>

<element name="form:datasource">

<attribute name="form:connection-resource">

<ref name="string"/>

</attribute>

</element>

</choice>

</define>

Relax-NG Schema Intermediate

Intermediate for the normative Relax-NG schema:

</include>

1.2Database Fields:

Previous description in 6.5, "Database Fields"

Every database in Open Office XML has a name and this name is used by all of the office application components to identify a database. All database fields contain a database name and most database fields also contain the name of a database table, which must be stored in the named database.

Proposed new text:

Every database in Open Office XML is identified by either a database name, an URL identifiying a database file, or a database resource. A database name relies on a repository of database connection to be maintained by the application. A database URL points to the location of a database file. A database resource contains a connection string that allows to establish connection to a database server, e.g. a JDBC pseudo-URL. All database fields contain one of these specifiers, either the database name as an attribute, or a datasource child . The child element may contain either an XLink to the database location or a connection attribute. Most database fields also contain the name of a database table.

1.3Relax-NG Schema Suffix

Suffix for the normative Relax-NG schema:

</grammar>

1. References

[OO] Michael Brauer, Daniel Vogelheim, Open Office Specification 1.0, http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/download.php/6032/office-spec-1.0-cd-1.sxw, OASIS , 2004.

[RNG] James Clark, MURATA Makoto, RELAX NG Specification, http://oasis-open.org/committees/relax-ng/spec-20011203.html, OASIS , 2001.

04-05-17-DatabaseField.sxw 22 March 2004

Copyright © Sun Microsystems, Inc 2004. All Rights Reserved. Page 6 of 6