Re: [xml-dev] RESTful operations on document fragments

["Rick Jelliffe" <rjelliffe@allette.com.au>]

Simon St.Laurent said:
> Jim Ancona wrote:
>> Simon St.Laurent wrote:
>>>
>>> Maybe it's just my priorities, but a URI format that lets you identify
>>> parts of resources seems like a safer path to take than adding a new
>>> HTTP method and then having to come up with various formats for doing
>>> the patching.  (Not to mention upgrades to web servers.)
>>
>> I agree that there seem to be two possible approaches:
>> - Define a new verb (PATCH) and a suitable diff format or formats.
>> - Use the verbs we have and identify parts of resources with their own
>> URIs (making them first-class resources).
>>
>> Note that I phrased that second one differently than you did, because
>> once you come up with a way to assign a URI to a sub-resource, it become
>> a full-fledged resources.
>
> Yep - that's fine with me, so long as I can get to the partials.

By coincidence, I had been working on a paper looking at this kind of
issue for a client, which might be interesting because the fragment issue
arises in a concrete instance, large sets of legislation. See my blog on
PRESTO:
http://www.oreillynet.com/xml/blog/2008/02/presto_a_www_information_archi.html

Cheers
Rick Jelliffe