emergency-rim — archive

[Rex Brooks]

Thanks Norm, Jeff, I have just added the RIM SC list so everyone in that list is aware that next Thursday is going to be another interesting session. Cheers, Rex On 9/25/2012 10:44 AM, Paulsen,Norm [Ontario] wrote: I will be there. I was at the last two (the one that was cancelled and the one before that). Comments below… From: Jeff Waters [ mailto:jeffrywaters@gmail.com ] Sent: September 25, 2012 12:59 PM To: Paulsen,Norm [Ontario]; Doug Allport; Jacob Westfall Cc: rexb@starbourne.com ; gary.ham@eyestreet.com Subject: Next RIM meeting to continue Layers discussion? Hi, Norm:   Last time we talked, we discussed the notion of following up with Jacob and others to further the discussion on Layers. Gary, Rex and I met at the IF meeting today and we thought it might be good to continue the Layers discussion at our next RIM meeting on Oct 4 ( https://www.oasis-open.org/apps/org/workgroup/emergency-rim/event.php?event_id=33208 ) Would you all be interested in attending?   I've included a few notes below to motivate the discussion. Thanks. --Jeff   Here are a few points that we may be in agreement on: (a) Layers is a good concept for providing business-level extensions Agree (b) The Layers concept is currently used in CAP but has applicability to other EDXL standards Agree (c) The Layers concept depends on Parameter Name/Value elements and certain other elements currently available in CAP In general, Layers aren’t necessarily dependent on such elements but Layer’s in CAP are, as that is the mechanism in CAP for it. How CAP does it, is a good mix of format and structure control with room for unlimited business level extensions. If those principles appear in other Mechanisms then that is the main point. Since CAP already does it maybe another mechanism doesn’t need to be used/created however that is what this group is trying to figure out. (d) To use the Layers concept in other EDXL standards, we need to have similar support in the EDXL Common Types While Common Types is one place to consider this support, I would just want to be sure the we don’t lose something in the process. So Common Types is the obvious starting place and maybe the finishing place, but to get there I would ask…can I do this? can I do that? etc… in the Common Types mechanism (with the flexibility that I can do it in CAP). Where I think we may have some differing opinions is on (1) the best way to represent Layers in the EDXL Common Types and If Common Types works for me then great. I’m not yet sold but am willing to explore. (2) whether or not the Layers should be used in the DE.  I don’t look at it this way. Basically XML, any XML,  allows for business extensions (extensibility is one of the basic principles behind XML). So if a specific use XML standard doesn’t allow for extensions then for me it fails. Conversely, if the specific use XML standard can’t handle basic alerting (without having to resort to extensions) then it too fails. CAP doesn’t fail on either point. EDXL-DE in my opinion needs the mechanism just on principle (whether a Layer is ever used there or not). CAP controls the formatting of the extensions which is important to keep CAP from getting out of control. It’s the old, everybody slap a tag around whatever you have and call it XML philosophy we want to avoid. So I think those would be the two major topics of discussion. The first topic is a little difficult to talk about in the abstract.  If you have a draft schema concept of how you think the Layers should be implemented, that would be great.  We could review it at the meeting or in advance. Time and resources makes the deadline of the next call impossible for me to create such a thing. All I have and what I could do is talk about the “business” and “technical” separation of Layers in our Canadian CAP to get the abstract behind us. I would discuss the principles generically/abstractly while using the CAP example. As for a Common Solution across the family of Standards, Jake would be more experienced than me in the technical side of those in order to make something applicable for all. I’ll be there Oct 4 th and I hope to update my Layer doc. Norm -- Rex Brooks GeoAddress: 1361-A Addison Berkeley, CA 94702 Phone: 510-898-0670