RE: [search-ws] queryn: Some further comments

["Hammond, Tony" <t.hammond@nature.com>]

Title: RE: [search-ws] queryn: Some further comments

> No.  Tony needed a mechanism for getting form entered CQL queries from brain-dead clients.  This is strictly about CQL queries broken up into chunks.  There is no general problem with SRU and forms.

Er, hello!

There is this small problem only with SRU and forms, that forms output cannot be directly processed by an SRU server.

I have summarized this before. You either need to enter the complete query as a single string (from a single control) or you need forms-specific client handling to build the query string.

As far as I'm aware - and as far we as a commercial company practice - there is no general presumption that JavaScript will always be enabled on the client. I don't think SRU can presume that either. ("Brain-dead clients" they may be - but we have a care of duty.)

Ergo, there is no general means for a form to directly connect with an SRU server.

I think that constitutes a general problem with SRU and forms.

Btw, I had initially only ever considered this to be a non-normative input mechanism - a preprocessing step performed at or following form submission. But if a form is dependent on an SRU server to pick up the pieces, then maybe this does need to be normative.

What is clear is that SRU and forms do not readily mix. (I know this because I am trying to do this with our own search form right now.)

Tony


-----Original Message-----
From: LeVan,Ralph [mailto:levan@oclc.org]
Sent: Mon 12/20/2010 8:29 PM
To: Ray Denenberg, Library of Congress; Hammond, Tony; Matthew Dovey; OASIS SWS TC
Subject: RE: [search-ws] queryn: Some further comments

> "The queryN parameter is peculiar to the cql-form queryType"
>
> There is no cql-form queryType. We made it up as a mechanism to signal
> the presence of the form parameters.  That was before we all agreed that
> the queryN parameter is a good idea.  If the queryN parameter is a good
> idea then there is no need for a cql-form queryType.

The queryN parameter is a necessary parameter for cql-form.  But, the q** parms are also necessary for cql-form.  queryN has no value for SRU outside of the cql-form queryType and does not belong in the standard (nor do the q** parms).


> Why are you so insistent that this not be part of the spec?   The reason
> Tony brought this up was his belief that it is important to have a form
> based SRU mode supported by the standard.

No.  Tony needed a mechanism for getting form entered CQL queries from brain-dead clients.  This is strictly about CQL queries broken up into chunks.  There is no general problem with SRU and forms.  To my mind, this is clearly a new queryType and I'm not interested in seeing queryTypes, other than the default queryType of CQL, defined in the standard.

Ralph

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