Re: [oiic-formation-discuss] Profiles. Attempting a definition.

[Shawn <sgrover@open2space.com>]

Dave Pawson wrote:
> src->http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_profile
> an application profile is a set of metadata elements, policies, and
> guidelines defined for a particular application.
> 
> The elements may be from one or more element sets, thus allowing a
> given application to meet its functional requirements by using
> metadata from several element sets including locally defined sets.

Nice to see we are not the only ones who have difficulty coming up with 
a definitive description of a profile.  I think it is saying something 
when a "sample" of a profile is given to describe what a profile is. 
Sort of like using a word to describe itself.

I believe the Wikipedia definition is the most generic and probably the 
most appropriate for our needs here.  (of those listed)

> Profile, from list usage.
> 
> Use profile (is this an applications profile?)
> 1. A use case for ODF. E.g. Web based documents, e.g. Googledocs
> What parts of ODF are appropriate, essential, nice to have, less useful.
> E.g. Mobile profile. How ODF might be used on a mobile phone or PDA.
> E.g. Interchange profile. Some (reduced?) schema for document interchange
> and archiving. Readily validated.
> E.g. Accessible profile for non visual user. The application reading
> the document processes the same file list, but no visual styling is
> done. Audio and tactile output are produced.
> 
> Document Profile.
> Some variation (subset or superset?) of the ODF Schema for a purpose.
> Could be to 'enable', or satisfy a use case (application profile).
> Schema based, Adjustments to the schema are made to suite the use case.
> E.g. restrict the character set to (xyz) for use in Country xx-YY.
> E.g. rename all the elements using one of the DSDL mapping standards
> to make the elements usable in a non-Western country.
> 

I think the TC will need to deal with application, document, and 
standard specific profiles.  (standard specific, meaning to test part of 
the ODF standard that may or may not be part of an application or 
document profile).  Or would what I'm calling "standard specific" be a 
subset of the "document" type profiles?

But This is sort of what I was trying to get at earlier.  If we were to 
choose the Wikipedia definition of profile (or whichever the list 
decides is suitable) for inclusion in the charter, and offer some 
potential examples, that should leave lots of freedom to the TC to do 
what they need, but still have that starting point.

(btw, thanks Dave for doing the google search - you beat me to it...)

Shawn