Namespaces for oBIX

OASIS has a preference for namespaces that point to actual documents. Generally, these point to an RDF file. For example, see the RDF file for EMIX:

http://docs.oasis-open.org/ns/emix/2011/06

Modern software tooling supports direct reference to schema repositories when this approach is used. There are some quite large repositiories on the web for common issues, including selection lists published as schemas. For example, the UN/CEFACT (United Nation / Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business) publishes a number of schemas which are often directly referenced by other schemas.

http://www.unece.org/cefact/xml_schemas/index.html

for example, the ISO2 Language Codes

http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/uncefact/codelist/standard/ISO_ISO2AlphaLanguageCode_20061027.xsd

and the ISO2 Currency Codes

http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/uncefact/codelist/standard/ISO_ISO3AlphaCurrencyCode_20120831.xsd

While the URI does not (according to W3C) have to match the URL of the schema, it is the OASIS preference that they do. See this line from referencing the Currency Codes from EMIX

<xs:import namespace="urn:un:unece:uncefact:codelist:standard:5:ISO42173A:2010-04-07" schemaLocation="http://www.unece.org/uncefact/codelist/standard/ISO_ISO3AlphaCurrencyCode_20100407.xsd"/>

It is just simpler if the namespace and the schema location match.

"Energy and persistence conquer all things." -- Benjamin Franklin

Toby Considine
TC9, Inc

OASIS TC Chair: oBIX & WS-Calendar

OASIS TC Editor: EMIX, Energy Interoperation

SGIP Smart Grid Architecture Committee

Email: Toby.Considine@gmail.com
Phone: (919)619-2104

http://www.tcnine.com
blog: http://www.NewDaedalus.com

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