Subject: [drinks] May another representation format be used to represent SPPF data?

From: Mickael Marrache <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2012 11:21:34 +0200

Hi,

I have a question concerning the use of XML for representing the data model
defined in the framework document.

According to what is mentionned in Section 8, should I understand that XML
is the representation format that MUST be used to represent the SPPF types?
So, for example, when a server sends a DestGroup to a client inside a
response (no matter which protocol is used), this element MUST be encoded
using XML.

I ask this question since I am not clear if XML is only here for historical
reason (because SOAP was defined in the same document) and therefore, it is
only used as a way to describe the data conceptually (but theoretically, we
could define the model using UML for ex). Or, maybe, this is the format
that must be used by the implementations to represent the data (i.e. SOAP
representing the data as XML, REST using XML representations...).

Thanks,
Mickael

---

From: Dean Willis <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2012 15:09:38 -0500

My read is that XML is expected. I can certainly see a reasonable mapping model for REST that doesn't XML-encapsulate the data, but I don't think the framework is written with this in mind.

On Oct 12, 2012, at 4:21 AM, Mickael Marrache wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> I have a question concerning the use of XML for representing the data model defined in the framework document.
> 
> According to what is mentionned in Section 8, should I understand that XML is the representation format that MUST be used to represent the SPPF types? So, for example, when a server sends a DestGroup to a client inside a response (no matter which protocol is used), this element MUST be encoded using XML.
> 
> I ask this question since I am not clear if XML is only here for historical reason (because SOAP was defined in the same document) and therefore, it is only used as a way to describe the data conceptually (but theoretically, we could define the model using UML for ex). Or, maybe, this is the format that must be used by the implementations to represent the data (i.e. SOAP representing the data as XML, REST using XML representations...).
> 
> Thanks,
> Mickael
> _______________________________________________
> drinks mailing list
> [email-masked]
> https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/drinks

---

From: Syed W Ali <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2012 20:01:32 -0400

The document notes below that the data representation is left to the
"protocol" specification.

   In terms of framework design, SPPF is agnostic to the transport
   protocol.  This document includes the specification of the data model
   and identifies, but does not specify, the means to enable protocol
   operations within a request and response structure.  That aspect of
   the specification has been delegated to the "protocol" specification
   for the framework.

Though we can add the following text for further clarification:

XML schema is used to describe the building blocks of the SPPF and to
express the data types, the semantic relationships between the various data
types, and the various constraints as a binding construct. However, the
protocol specification is free to choose any data representation format as
long as it meets the requirements laid out in the SPPF XML schema
definition. As an example, XML and JSON are two widely used data
representation formats.
-Syed

On Thu, Oct 18, 2012 at 4:09 PM, Dean Willis <[email-masked]>wrote:

>
> My read is that XML is expected. I can certainly see a reasonable mapping
> model for REST that doesn't XML-encapsulate the data, but I don't think the
> framework is written with this in mind.
>
>
> > According to what is mentionned in Section 8, should I understand that
> XML is the representation format that MUST be used to represent the SPPF
> types? So, for example, when a server sends a DestGroup to a client inside
> a response (no matter which protocol is used), this element MUST be encoded
> using XML.
> >
> > I ask this question since I am not clear if XML is only here for
> historical reason (because SOAP was defined in the same document) and
> therefore, it is only used as a way to describe the data conceptually (but
> theoretically, we could define the model using UML for ex). Or, maybe, this
> is the format that must be used by the implementations to represent the
> data (i.e. SOAP representing the data as XML, REST using XML
> representations...).
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Mickael