Re: [regrep] Core Components and version 3

[Duane Nickull <duane@xmlglobal.com>]

The largest issue to solve is the fact that Core Components have no set 
data serialization.  Even though Core Components are syntax neutral ( 
actually more syntax agnostic), we still need to formally agree on how 
to represent them.

Before anyone says "UML",  please be aware that UML is not a MIME type. 
    It is true that you can express UML in several MIME types including 
image/jpg and image/gif, but these fall short of the list of 
requirements on CC's (and BIE's too).

I published a list of requirements to the CC group over one year ago 
however, they have stated that this specific work is not within their 
scope.  I support this statement given that the CC group has wisely 
scoped their work into several narrow and specific blocks of work and 
chosen to task these according to order of necessity (ie - the 
methodology for discoverying CC's is first).

Some of the requirements are (IMHO):

1. Does not limit the CC or BIE to only being expressed in any one syntax
2. Is easily transformed into other data formats
3. Can link and point at other artifacts (although Registries can do this).
4. Is useful as an artifact when outside of the Registry environment.
5. Can be read and understood by both humans and machines
6. Is based on a global standard for data serialization (free parser 
technology for all!!)
...

To me XML is the most logical choice, although ASN1 would work too.

IN the Wrox book "professoional ebXML Foundations", I took a crack at 
establishing an XML format based on the current CC data model.  It 
actually worked and Matt MacKenzie and I made some simple code to 
extract a BIE from a CC (BIE's inline with the CC).  It is written in 
Java and demonstrated the ability to implement the technology.

If anyone wants this,  please let me know and I will send out the source 
code.

Duane Nickull




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