Subject: [Simple] XCAP List Issue 3: Name and URI indices

From: Jonathan Rosenberg <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 07:25:12 -0400

Currently, the resource list format has two attributes for each <entry>. 
The are the optional name, and mandatory URI parameter. The name exists 
solely as an alternative index useful for XCAP selection of entries. 
However, do we really need TWO indices?

The main concern around using the URI as an index is that URI 
comparisons are more compelx than just string match, and if we use the 
URI as an index for XCAP selection, the element would be selected based 
on string equality (case sensitive, I believe). However, its possible 
for two URI to be unequal by case sensitive string comparison, and equal 
by URI equality. More interestingly, I think it is the case that if two 
URI are equal by case sensitive string compare, then they will also be 
equal by URI comparison rules. The implication is that I will always be 
able to select the entry I want (i.e., there won't be ambiguity), but 
the XCAP rules may allow me to have two entries that have the same URI 
by URi equality rules, just because they differ by case sensitive string 
comparison.

I don't think thats a particularly bad limitation (indeed, one might 
even argue that its a feature). As such, I'd propose to drop the name 
attribute entirely.

Note that the specification does need to also clarify that each <entry> 
has to have a unique uri attribute amongst its siblings. It doesnt say 
that now. This means that the server will reject, with a 409, a request 
to add an <entry> if its uri attribute is not unique.

-Jonathan R.

-- 
Jonathan D. Rosenberg, Ph.D.                600 Lanidex Plaza
Chief Technology Officer                    Parsippany, NJ 07054-2711
dynamicsoft
[email-masked]                     FAX:   (973) 952-5050
http://www.jdrosen.net                      PHONE: (973) 952-5000
http://www.dynamicsoft.com

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From: Jonathan Rosenberg <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 17 Jun 2004 06:18:27 -0400

No comments on this?

-Jonathan R.