Subject: Atom 0.3 Spec Confusion - atom:link & atom:id

From: Paul Baranowski <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 03 Jul 2004 20:55:48 -0400

Sorry if this isnt the correct mailing list, please tell me where to 
direct my questions if I am in the wrong place...

You've probably heard this already, but here are some things I found 
confusing about the Atom 0.3 spec:

atom:feed --> atom:link - specifies that "atom:feed elements MUST 
contain at least one atom:link element with a rel attribute value of 
"alternate".".  This is confusing because the word "alternate" can be 
used to convey different things here.  What is the context for this 
word?  Does "alternate" mean "the link specified is the location of this 
feed"?  Or does alternate mean "an alternative location where you can 
get this feed if the other link given is currently not available" 
(assuming there was another "link" element specified, without the 
"alternate" attribute).  Or does it mean something else entirely?

atom:feed --> atom:entry --> atom:id - Does not specify whether it is 
required or not!  (Is it?)

Thanks for your time, I look forward to your thoughts on this...

- Paul Baranowski
[email-masked]

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From: Eric Scheid <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 04 Jul 2004 13:08:14 +1000

On 4/7/04 10:55 AM, "Paul Baranowski" <[email-masked]> wrote:

> word?  

IIRC, I think it is meant to be the flip version of the auto-discovery
alternate link found at the web page for the feed. That is, the feed is the
alternate to the web page, and the web page is the alternate of the feed.

Thus:

    http://example.com/blog.html
        'alternate' --> feed.atom

    http://example.com/feed.atom
        'alternate' --> blog.html

This is a little bit confusing, since (IIRC) the auto-discovery spec talks
of using 'alternate' to find the feed, and what we have here "looks" like an
auto-discovery link, but isn't (?)

> Does "alternate" mean "the link specified is the location of this
> feed"?  

 From memory, link/[@rel="service.feed"] would specify that. It would be nice
to have that required in the feed (for one-click subscriptions mechanisms).

I note in passing that some blogspot templates use 'service.feed' instead of
'alternate', which defeats NNW's auto-discovery mechanism :-(

> Or does alternate mean "an alternative location where you can

probably not.

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From: Danny Ayers <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 04 Jul 2004 11:29:44 +0200

> direct my questions if I am in the wrong place...

Definitely the right place.

> required or not!  (Is it?)

I believe it is required, as a "MUST", the next spec draft will be 
clearer ;-)

On the other hand, I think the use of "alternate" is not good at all - I 
believe the responses you've had have been accurate, but it is a very 
confusing term.

Cheers,
Danny.

-- 

Raw
http://dannyayers.com

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From: Asbjørn Ulsberg <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 04 Jul 2004 13:31:44 +0200

> I believe it is required, as a "MUST", the next spec draft will be  

I've created a pace to clearify it:

<url: http://www.intertwingly.net/wiki/pie/PaceEntryIdRequired>

> believe the responses you've had have been accurate, but it is a very  

I agree.

-- 
Asbjørn Ulsberg         -=|=-        [email-masked]
«He's a loathsome offensive brute, yet I can't look away»