latest Catalog XML

• To: <thredds@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Subject: latest Catalog XML
• From: "John Caron" <caron@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Fri, 7 Jun 2002 17:21:21 -0600

heres another strawman, incorporating our latest discussions:

http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/projects/THREDDS/xml/InvCatalog.0.6d.dtd

Recent changes:

1) Collections as datasets. Ethan and I think the cleanest way to allow
"collections as datasets" is to allow nested datasets. Collections remain
just groups of datasets. A Collection as a dataset is done as a dataset with
nested datasets. Nested dataset elements (Joe's meaning #2) should imply (in
some way we need to clarify better) nested datasets (Joe's meaning #1 and
#3).

2) allow compound services again. I have talked myself into that these will
be often useful.

3) services are now contained within any collection, rather than having to
be all in the top catalog element. They are scoped by the collection they
are in (so we no longer use ID, since those are global). This makes a
catalogRef have (almost) the same semantics as a collection.

4) a catalog now only has exactly one collection element. (i considered
eliminating catalog but i think its better this way).

5) "attribute" changed to "property" (tired of saying "the attribute
attribute")

6) access element can specify an absolute URL with a serverType -or- a
reletive URL with a serverID.



Unless I get a barrage of objections, I will document this in more detail
ASAP. I will be gone for a week starting next Tuesdy, so Ethan will continue
the conversation as needed. Hopefully, we can converge soon and take a
break! I think I have incorporated all the good ideas i have heard in this
discussion. Have I left out something, or do you think any feature is not
worth the complexity?

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Date: Fri,  7 Jun 2002 21:54:15 -0400
From: Benno Blumenthal <benno@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
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To: THREDDS <thredds@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: latest Catalog XML
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Quoting John Caron <caron@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:

> 
> Recent changes:
> 
> 1) Collections as datasets. Ethan and I think the cleanest way to allow
> "collections as datasets" is to allow nested datasets. Collections remain
> just groups of datasets. A Collection as a dataset is done as a dataset
> with
> nested datasets. Nested dataset elements (Joe's meaning #2) should imply
> (in
> some way we need to clarify better) nested datasets (Joe's meaning #1 and
> #3).
>

This does not quite work for me, unless you allow a catalog to contain exactly
one collection or exactly one dataset.   Right now the only thredds thing that
can be pointed to is a catalog, with the added provision that a catalog with one
collection is effectively that collection -- I would like to point to datasets
with thredds, which requires either that a catalog can point to a dataset or a
collection, or that you extend collection to be isomorphic to dataset.   The
catalog modification would be preferable.

> 6) access element can specify an absolute URL with a serverType -or- a
> reletive URL with a serverID.
> 

If you are going to have a base element in service, it is only fair that you
have a suffix element, too.  Please leave the suffix element in.

• Follow-Ups:
  • Re: latest Catalog XML
    • From: Daniel Holloway
  • Re: latest Catalog XML
    • From: Joe Wielgosz