Re: [ws-rx] namespace URI versioning policy

[Peter Niblett <peter_niblett@uk.ibm.com>]

Looks good to me

Is it the intention that "backwards compatible" between version n and n+1
means that any message exchange or schema element instance that is
validated by the version n WSDL/schema MUST also validate as ok with the
version n+1 WSDL/schema?

I realise that the * list is just a set of examples, but I'm curious about
why you mention just the pattern facet. Presumably you would be allowed to
relax other facets such as length or maxExclusive

Peter Niblett
IBM Senior Technical Staff Member



                                                                           
             Christopher B                                                 
             Ferris                                                        
             <chrisfer@us.ibm.                                          To 
             com>                      ws-rx@lists.oasis-open.org          
                                                                        cc 
             20/09/2005 01:32                                              
                                                                   Subject 
                                       [ws-rx] namespace URI versioning    
                                       policy                              
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           




All,

Fulfilling my AI [1], I have worked with Paul C to develop a namespace URI
versioning
policy for our specs. (below)

Have at it!

Paul raised one point not addressed in the policy below. The W3C has a
policy of making
a spec available at a "latest" URI that is fixed for the lifetime of a
spec (well, mostly... rules
were made to be broken). The policy below doesn't provide such a feature.

However, we could establish a policy that we could make the RDDLs
available via
redirect or some equivalent means at the following URI:

        http://docs.oasis-open.org/wsrm/
        http://docs.oasis-open.org/wsrmp/

that would provide a means for developers to be able to always find the
latest spec,
schema and WSDLs, etc.

[1]
http://www.oasis-open.org/apps/org/workgroup/ws-rx/members/action_item.php?action_item_id=1004


Cheers,

Christopher Ferris
STSM, Emerging e-business Industry Architecture
email: chrisfer@us.ibm.com
blog: http://webpages.charter.net/chrisfer/blog.html
phone: +1 508 377 9295

Namespace Versioning Policy

The following is the declared policy of this specification with regards to
the namespace URI assignment
for both the related XML Schema and WSDL definitions.

The pattern of the namespace URI shall be:
http://docs.oasis-open.org/[product]/yyyymm/
Where [product] is the short name of the specification as prescribed by
OASIS followed by
the century, year and month chosen by the TC.

It is the intent of the WS-RX TC members that the namespace URI will not
change arbitrarily
with each subsequent revision of the corresponding WSDL or XML Schema
document, but rather
change only when a subsequent revision, published in conjunction with a
Committee Specification
results in non-backwardly compatible changes from a previously published
Committee Specification.

Under this policy, the following are examples of backwards compatible
changes that would
not result in assignment of a new namespace URI:

* addition of new global element, attribute, complexType and simpleType
definitions
* addition of new operations within a WSDL portType or binding (along with
the corresponding
  schema, message and part definitions)
* addition of new elements or attributes in locations covered by a
previously specified wildcard
* modifications to the pattern facet of a type definition for which the
value-space of the previous
  definition remains valid or for which the value-space of the
preponderance of instance would
  remain valid
* modifications to the cardinality of elements for which the value-space
of possible instance documents
  conformant to the previous revision of the schema would still be valid
with regards to the revised
  cardinality rule

The policy for namesapce URI assignment between subsequent revisions of TC
editors drafts
shall be to retain the same namespace URI regardless of the nature of the
changes. Prior to
adoption of a new Committee Specification, the TC will assess the
backwards-compatibility
of the schema and WSDL documents with the prior Committee Specification
(if any) and either
retain the namespace URI or assign a new one in accordance with this
policy.

An RDDL document shall be made available at the namespace URI location
that will provide
a link to the actual location of the relevant XML Schema or WSDL
definitions documents. When
appropriate, the RDDL will provide links to the deprecated revisions of
the XML Schema and
WSDL definitions documents that carry the same namespace URI.