xml-dev - Re: XML and LDAP: Common APIs?

[KenNorth <KenNorth@email.msn.com>]

> I don't think you need to know the datatype to form the query -

Here are two SQL queries for which the filter is expressed differently based
on the type of the employee ID (empID) column. To match a numeric ID, you
use the first query. To match a character string ID, you use the second:

select emp_name from employee where empID = 200

select emp_name from employee where empID = '200'

The type was stated when the table was created.

To have a common API for LDAP and XML, you'll have to provide similar
support for types. Extensible directory structures must be described with
schemas, or some other mechanism for declaring types and constraints. You'll
also need APIs to return type information.

The LDAP API can return type information for LDAP attributes and use types
when doing comparisons and sorts.