Re: [office-metadata] Data types

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

On Fri, 9 Mar 2007, Bruce D'Arcus wrote:

>
> On Mar 9, 2007, at 10:40 AM, Michael Brauer - Sun Germany - ham02 -
> Hamburg wrote:
>
> >> I think in general ODF should get away from using non-resolvable URNs
> >> for namespace URIs. It can be useful in a lot of course to actually
> >> resolve these URIs to further documentation and such.
> >
> > OASIS has rules for the composition of namespace URIs, so this is
> > probably nothing we can change.
>
> Do those rules say you cannot use HTTP URIs? If they do, they need to
> be changed, as that would be a silly limitation.
>
> Or, are they simply rules which say how to compose non-resolvable URN
> namespace URIs? That would make sense of course.
>
> Bruce

Michael/Bruce,

Please see the approved Naming Guidelines, which cover

XML Namespace Design, Allocation, and Management
http://docs.oasis-open.org/specGuidelines/namingGuidelines/resourceNaming.html#NamespaceDesign

"Any of the three common types of namespace names (URI references) are
allowed: hash type, slash type, and simple (no-trailing-delimiter) type"

URNs are allowed, but OASIS Staff has a distinct preference for the
use of HTTP scheme namespace names -- for reasons that anyone can guess.

========= Further notes:

1. OASIS members have different opinions about the relative value
   of URNs.  During ASIS reviews, we received several suggestions
   (supported by some Staff) to simply "kill" URNs in terms of
   further use.  Staff involved in the review of ASIS recommended
   against wider promotion of URNs.

2. Several attempts/motions have been made to formally rescind
   (however one does that in IETF) RFC 3121, since, in the
   understanding of most, OASIS no longer has any commitment
   to do what the RFC indicates, as far as we can determine:

   "A more interactive, online resolution system will also be
   deployed in the near future."

   See:
   http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3121.txt
   A URN Namespace for OASIS
   IETF Network Working Group
   Request for Comments: 3121 (Informational)
   K. Best and N. Walsh
   June 2001

3. The author of the OASIS RFC (Norm Walsh) says, recently:

   "I no longer see value in URNs at all..."

   See:
   Norm Walsh
   http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/oasis-member-discuss/200603/msg00002.html