Re: [codelist] Dissenting argument on namespace URI

[Robin Cover <robin@oasis-open.org>]

On Mon, 16 Apr 2007, G. Ken Holman wrote:

> Robin, can you please comment on Tony's summary that was after the
> line you quoted in your last response?

Looks OK.  Here are some details:

---------------------------------
Proposed by Tony and Ken:
---------------------------------

Ken asks about NS URI design [1] using a path element
"/ns/" and an initial version element "/1.0"/

TC shortName = codelist
http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/tc_home.php?wg_abbrev=codelist
http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/codelist/

http://docs.oasis-open.org/codelist/ns/genericode/1.0/ NS URI
http://docs.oasis-open.org/codelist/ns/genericode/   RDDLs
http://docs.oasis-open.org/codelist/schemas/genericode/1.0/ Schemas

----------------------------------
Comment from Robin:
----------------------------------

It's a good idea to think about the URI design end-to-end
(versions of specs, versions of schemas, versioned NS URIs,
collection of RDDL documents), so I'm happy to see the
conversation on the TC list about these design issues.

The proposed NS URI (string, URI reference) is OK: it conforms to the
Type 1 "slash" pattern [2] and uses the explicit "/ns/" path component,
which signals that the URI is about namespaces [3].

If you start with
http://docs.oasis-open.org/codelist/ns/genericode/1.0/

then you can version the NS URI as needed (for example

http://docs.oasis-open.org/codelist/ns/genericode/1.1/  OR
http://docs.oasis-open.org/codelist/ns/genericode/2.0/  OR whatever

Please note the rule "TCs should avoid creating collision/confusion
and semantic overloading at the point of a XML Namespace URI..."
discussed here:

http://docs.oasis-open.org/specGuidelines/namingGuidelines/resourceNamingV07.html#NamespaceDesign

Thus, while the exact location of the RDDL document(s) is
not critical, we don't want any content at "*" in
http://docs.oasis-open.org/codelist/ns/genericode/1.1/* OR
http://docs.oasis-open.org/codelist/ns/genericode/2.0/*

Our practice is to deliver the RDDL via a URI rewrite
so that the namespace document (immediately) documents the
namespace.  Example (dereference it in a browser to see the
server behavior):

NS URI: http://docs.oasis-open.org/ws-caf/2005/10/wsctx

As to use of a directory transparently matching this URI

"http://docs.oasis-open.org/codelist/ns/genericode/";

that seems OK as well; you can create the RDDL files for
example using the substring 'rddl' or 'namespace' and
some versioning scheme (examples:)

http://docs.oasis-open.org/codelist/ns/genericode/rddl-20070416.html
http://docs.oasis-open.org/codelist/ns/genericode/rddl-20070624.html
http://docs.oasis-open.org/codelist/ns/genericode/rddl-20071129.html

or:

http://docs.oasis-open.org/codelist/ns/genericode/namespace-20070416.html
http://docs.oasis-open.org/codelist/ns/genericode/namespace-20070624.html
http://docs.oasis-open.org/codelist/ns/genericode/namespace-20071129.html

or whatever.

I don't know much about your plans for publishing schemas, but
the proposed root (directory) seems to make sense for "1.0":

http://docs.oasis-open.org/codelist/schemas/genericode/1.0/

Feel free to ask for advice as you feel your way along -- we think
the TC is in the best position to design the URI scheme, but we'll
try to spot any problematic suggestions.  The most important
consideration is that the scheme make provision initially for
distinct URIs for all the versioned instances of schemas,
prose specs, RDDLs, namespace URIs, etc.

Best wishes,

Robin

--Refs:

[1] http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/codelist/200704/msg00024.html

[2]
http://docs.oasis-open.org/specGuidelines/namingGuidelines/resourceNamingCommentaryV07.html#slashTypeURI

Type 1: Slash Namespace HTTP scheme URI

[3] W3C documentation
    http://www.w3.org/2005/07/13-nsuri
    e.g., 'http://www.w3.org/ns/ssss'
    recent example: "http://www.w3.org/ns/ws-policy";

----------------------



>
> At 2007-04-16 21:14 +0100, Anthony B. Coates (Miley Watts) wrote:
> >So, in spite of what is suggested in the OASIS docs, I would actually
> >prefer myself to follow Ken's suggestion of
> >
> >http://docs.oasis-open.org/codelist/ns/genericode/1.0/
> >
> >for the genericode 1.0 namespace URI, with this being redirected to a RDDL
> >document at
> >
> >http://docs.oasis-open.org/codelist/ns/genericode/
> >
> >We could then have the Schemas at (I would suggest)
> >
> >http://docs.oasis-open.org/codelist/schemas/genericode/1.0/
> >
> >so that there is a consistent structure to the URLs.
> >
> >Comments?  Do we need to get OASIS to recommend something to us?
>
> I think Tony has suggested an appropriate directory structure to
> distinguish the NS directories (that don't have "other" files in
> them) with explicit schema directories where we can rely on finding
> the normative documents.
>
> With your blessing, Robin, I'd like to move forward tomorrow in our
> committee teleconference with a recommendation that we go ahead with
> Tony's suggestions.
>
> Thanks for your guidance!
>
> . . . . . . . . . . . . Ken
>
> p.s. while I don't (yet) use RDDL, my use of an "/ns/" directory is
> what I've done for a long time on Crane's web site:
>
>    http://www.CraneSoftwrights.com/ns/
>
>
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