[ebxml-cppa] version attribute of process specification element

[Martin W Sachs <mwsachs@us.ibm.com>]

I believe that we have a loose end in the CPPA-BPSS synchronization
department to be attended to post-version 2.

The ProcessSpecification element in the CPP/CPA has a version attribute
defined as follows:

8.4.4.2     version attribute
The ProcessSpecification element includes a REQUIRED version attribute to
indicate the version of the Process-Specification document identified by
the xlink:href attribute (and also identified by the ds:Reference element,
if any).

As we recently discovered, BPSS does not provide a version attribute for an
instance document.  The version attribute in the ProcessSpecification
element in BPSS identifies the version of the BPSS specification.
Therefore, the version attribute provided in the CPP/CPA is effectively
undefined.

Some possible fixes:

1.  State that the version attribute in the CPPA specification identifies
the version of BPSS used to produce the referenced instance document (this
conforms to the BPSS specification).

2 State that the values of this version attribute have to be defined by
whomever composes the CPA (ugly).

3. Recommend that this version attribute not be used and that BPSS instance
documents be distinguished only by the name attribute.

4. Work with the BPSS team to define a version attribute for a BPSS
instance document and state in the CPPA specification that its version
attribute refers to whatever the BPSS team defines. It would be better to
change the name of this attribute to match whatever name the BPSS team
gives it but this would leave a minor backward compatibility problem to
solve.

My preference is to issue an erratum now that  states (1) above and work
with the BPSS team on (4) for an early maintenance release.

Regards,
Marty



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Martin W. Sachs
IBM T. J. Watson Research Center
P. O. B. 704
Yorktown Hts, NY 10598
914-784-7287;  IBM tie line 863-7287
Notes address:  Martin W Sachs/Watson/IBM
Internet address:  mwsachs @ us.ibm.com
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