application/sru+xml

["Ray Denenberg, Library of Congress" <rden@loc.gov>]

I posted a message several days ago suggesting that we consider looking at possible changes to the default SRU 2.0 response, application/sru+xml, to allow arbitrary, foreign (namespaced), ignorable elements.   There was no discussion, does that mean nobody thinks it's a good idea or that nobody cares? 

 

As of right now the IETF draft ("00")  to register several mime types including SRU has expired and I am in the process of "negotiating" draft "01" (an unpleasant process, which you'll understand if you've ever negotiated with the IETF) and it seems to me that this is an opportune time to consider possible tweaks to this format. 

 

 

To begin, at the top level of the schema the elements are

                                                <xs:element ref="numberOfRecords" minOccurs="0"/>

                                                <xs:element ref="resultSetId" minOccurs="0"/>

                                                <xs:element ref="resultSetIdleTime" minOccurs="0"/>

                                                <xs:element ref="records" minOccurs="0"/>

                                                <xs:element ref="nextRecordPosition" minOccurs="0"/>

                                                <xs:element ref="echoedSearchRetrieveRequest" minOccurs="0"/>

                                                <xs:element ref="diagnostics" minOccurs="0"/>

                                                <xs:element ref="extraResponseData" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>

<!—the above elements are carried over from SRU version 1.1; the following are new in version 2 à

                                                <xs:element ref="resultCountPrecision" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>

                                                <xs:element ref="facetedResults" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>

                                                <xs:element ref="searchResultAnalysis" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded>

 

 

I would like to think that we could keep the discussion bounded to the <records> element. That is, not try to wedge arbitrary elements elsewhere.

 

<records> is:

                                <xs:sequence>

                                                <xs:element ref="recordSchema"/>

                                                <xs:element ref="recordPacking" minOccurs="0"/>

                                                <xs:element ref="recordData"/>

                                                <xs:element ref="recordPosition" minOccurs="0"/>

                                                <xs:element ref="extraRecordData" minOccurs="0"/>

                                </xs:sequence

 

My first suggestion is to get rid of the element <extraRecordData> and replace

 

                                                <xs:element ref="extraRecordData" minOccurs="0"/>

with

 

                                                <xs:any   namespace= "##other" minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded"/>

 

 

Next, <record> is:

                                <xs:sequence>

                                                <xs:element ref="recordSchema"/>

                                                <xs:element ref="recordPacking" minOccurs="0"/>

                                                <xs:element ref="recordData"/>

                                                <xs:element ref="recordPosition" minOccurs="0"/>

                                                <xs:element ref="extraRecordData" minOccurs="0"/>

                                </xs:sequence>

 

My next suggestion is to do the same thing with extraRecordData.

 

Please comment!

 

--Ray