Re: Options for change

[David Orchard <david.orchard@bea.com>]

Seems to me that use of XML Schema extension is exactly what SAML should 
use.  Creating a new type of extension mechanism is re-inventing the 
wheel.    Surely SAML 1.0 can be successful without defining SAML data 
types and extension mechanisms.  Note that I'm not disagreeing with the 
problem/issues, just with the prioritization of the issue.

I posit saml 1.0 could be very successful with the existing 
attributevaluetype.  Let's close the issue and publish the spec a little 
earlier.

Cheers,
Dave

At 12:06 PM 10/2/01 -0700, Hallam-Baker, Phillip wrote:
>Existing
>
><complexType name="AttributeValueType">
>         <sequence>
>                 <any namespace="##any" processContents="lax" minOccurs="0"
>maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
>         </sequence>
></complexType>
>
>The problem with this set up is that every application requires an extension
>schema to use an attribute statement.
>
>
>
>With Generic Data Slots:
>
>
><complexType name="AttributeValueType">
>         <sequence>
>                 <any namespace="##any" processContents="lax" minOccurs="0"
>maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
>                 <element ref="saml:BooleanData" minOccurs=0
>maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
>                 <element ref="saml:IntegerData" minOccurs=0
>maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
>                 <element ref="saml:BooleanData" minOccurs=0
>maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
>         </sequence>
></complexType>
><element name="BooleanData" type="boolean"/>
><element name="IntegerData" type="integer"/>
><element name="StringData" type="string"/>
>
>
>Using generic slots the namespace can specify the use of the slot, for
>example:
>
><AttributeValue Namespace="urn:whatever:academic-agreement-2001"
>         Name="MemberOfFaculty">
>    <StringData>MIT.EDU</StringData>
></AttributeValue>
>
><AttributeValue Namespace="urn:whatever:academic-agreement-2001"
>         Name="IsA Student">
>    <BooleanData>true</BooleanData>
></AttributeValue>
>
>
>This leave the problem that the attribute slot is intended to be extensible
>but an extension schema can't declare an extension that is only for use as
>an attribute value.
>
>With generic data slots and an extension point:
>
>
><complexType name="AttributeValueType">
>         <sequence>
>                 <any namespace="##any" processContents="lax" minOccurs="0"
>maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
>                 <element ref="saml:AttributeElement"/>
>                 <element ref="saml:BooleanData" minOccurs=0
>maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
>                 <element ref="saml:IntegerData" minOccurs=0
>maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
>                 <element ref="saml:BooleanData" minOccurs=0
>maxOccurs="unbounded"/>
>         </sequence>
></complexType>
><element name="AttributeElement" type="saml:AttributeElementType"/>
><complexType name="AttributeElementType"/>
>
>
>Phillip Hallam-Baker FBCS C.Eng.
>Principal Scientist
>VeriSign Inc.
>pbaker@verisign.com
>781 245 6996 x227
>