Subject: Preparing the Atom Format Profile Draft

From: James M Snell <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 14:55:10 -0800

Either later today or tomorrow I will be sending off a Atom Syndication 
Format Profiles I-D for publication.  I wanted to just take a moment to 
summarize the extension here before submitting.

The extension adds two optional parameters to the Atom media type:

   type = entry | file
   profile = A comma separated list of URI's identifying a use profile 
for the Atom document

Examples:

application/atom+xml; type="entry"
application/atom+xml; type="feed"
application/atom+xml; type="feed"; profile="http://example.org/podcast,
   http://example.org/blog"

The extension also adds a new namespaced element:

<x:profile>http://example.org/podcast</x:profile>

Zero or more profile elements may appear within a feed, entry or source 
element.

The value is equivalent to the profile parameter on the media type.  The 
set of profile values contained in the document takes precedence over 
the set of profile values contained in the media type.

The Profile URI should not be assumed to be dereferenceable.

The profile value is strictly advisory.  It communicates to the user 
what kinds of metadata or content one should expect to find within the 
feed or entry or indicates how the feed/entry is intended to be used.

Profiles should (*not must*) be defined by I-D's using rfc2119 language.

Thoughts?

- James

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From: Robert Sayre <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 18:00:27 -0500

> Thoughts?

Less email. More code. Looks completely useless to me.

--

Robert Sayre

"I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time."

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From: "A. Pagaltzis" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 00:08:26 +0100

>Thoughts?

+1

Regards,
-- 
Aristotle Pagaltzis // <http://plasmasturm.org/>

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From: Andreas Sewe <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 11:08:51 +0100

James M Snell wrote:
> The value [of x:profile] is equivalent to the profile parameter on the media type.  The 

Well, this needs clarification: If a feed at
<http://www.example.com/one.atom> refers to another feed with a link
element like the following

<atom:link rel='related' href='http://www.example.com/two.atom' 
type='application/atom+xml;profile="http://www.example.com/foo"'/>

but the feed at <http://www.example.com/two.atom> contains a profile of
<x:profile>http://www.example.com/bar</x:profile> then the above should 
certainly hold: "The set of profile values contained in the document 
takes precedence over the set of profile values contained in the media 
type." (This respects the "advisory" nature of the type attribute as 
defined by the Atom Format spec.)

If, however, the feed at <http://www.example.com/two.atom> is served
with an HTTP Content-Type of 
"application/atom+xml;profile="http://www.example.com/quux" then this
profile should IMHO take precedence over the "profile values contained
in the document", i.e., "http://www.example.com/bar". (This is
consistent with the TAG findings regarding "Inconsistencies between
Representation Data and Metadata" at
<http://www.w3.org/TR/2004/REC-webarch-20041215/#metadata-inconsistencies>.)

Hence the need for clarification; it is not at all clear what "contained 
in the media type" means. Does it refer only to the type attribute or to 
HTTP's Content-Type as well?

Regards,

Andreas Sewe

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From: James M Snell <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 08:45:49 -0800

Excellent points and yes, you're absolutely correct.  If/when the 
profile parameter is used in the HTTP content-type, it needs to take 
precedence over the metadata contained inline.

Andreas Sewe wrote:
> James M Snell wrote:
>> The value [of x:profile] is equivalent to the profile parameter on the 
>> media type.  The set of profile values contained in the document takes 
>> precedence over the set of profile values contained in the media type.
>

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From: Graham Parks <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2006 19:51:12 +0000

> Thoughts?

It's either not going to be used or will be abused when it is. I  
can't see it ending well.

Graham