I finally had a chance to review the new
https://wiki.oasis-open.org/xdi/XdiSymbolTable page.
Dan, note that I updated some of the descriptions to match what we are putting in the XDI Core spec.
Les, to answer your question, all context symbols can be used for what in hierarchical namespaces is called "delegation" (although delegation works differently in XDI - that's a good subject for the next TC telecon). Regarding the * context symbol, in
XRI syntax it was the "delegation character" for reassignable identifiers. In XDI, this has changed. * is now the context symbol for a "thing", meaning an entity that is not a natural person or a legal entity (group, organization, trademark, etc.)
Note that I also clarified the wording in the table about "ownership", as this applies to the semantics of the = and @ context symbols as well.
- = is the context for an identifier for a natural person. It is not just an identifier "owned" by a person, but one that identifies a person (this, too, is a departure from XRI semantics).
- = is the context for an identifier for a non-personal legal entity. It is not just an identifier "owned" by a legal entity, but one that identifies a legal entity of some kind (group, organizaton, trademark, etc.)
It follows from these definitions that * is the context for an identifier that identifies
anything else that is not a natural person or a legal entity.
=Drummond