RE: [xml-dev] xml:href, xml:rel and xml:type

["Rushforth, Peter" <Peter.Rushforth@NRCan-RNCan.gc.ca>]

Hi Mike,

> > I'm not suggesting that.  I'm suggesting @xml:rel as a way of 
> > capturing the name of the relationships:
> >
> > <factory 
> > 
> xml:href="http://example.com/willy-wonkas-chocolate-factory/location"; 
> > xml:rel="location" xml:type="application/xml"> <name>Willy Wonka's 
> > Chocolate Factory</name> <products> <product 
> > xml:href=""http://example.com/willy-wonkas-products/wonka-bar"; 
> > xml:rel="describedby" xml:type="application/xml"><name>Wonka 
> > Bar</name> </products> </factory
> >
> Are these href values URIs or URLs? I get the impression, 
> because you're talking about REST, that they can be 
> dereferenced. 

Yes they can be dereferenced.

> If that's the case, then I'm sceptical about 
> whether this information belongs in the XML. 

Why are you sceptical?

> The identity of a product is not the same as the address of a 
> web service that can provide information about the product.
> There's too much muddling of layers going on here. The 
> application should get information about products by 
> combining two pieces of information: knowledge of the 
> product's identifier, and knowledge of a service that 
> provides trustworthy information about products. I don't 
> think it's right to bundle those two things inseparably together.

I completely agree.  xml:href is a URI that is meant to be
dereferenced, if desired by the client.

I did not show a factory or product identifier, perhaps as an oversight, but
more so as to not talk about them.

Cheers,
Peter