RE: Innovative use of DIAL for IT management

You are confusing the term "adaptor". Re-reading the article may
clarify.

The adaptors described in the article adapt a proprietary format (e.g.
comma separated values) into something that is placed within a DIAL
document. As a DIAL document is an XML document, it follows that the
output of the adaptors (as described in the article) must be producing
XML fragments. Specifically, the article describes the production of
XHTML 2 <object> elements.

Completely separate, and *not* described in the article, is the
subsequent adaptation of the complete DIAL document (within which the
previously mentioned XML fragments are contained). This is the document
transformation process. This is *not* described in the cited article.

The result of transforming DIAL can be absolutely anything. HTML, WML,
iMode, music, oil paintings, Braille, SVG, ASCII text, RSS etc etc etc.
None of this is described in the cited article.

The article should be considered a rather unusual and unorthodox use for
DIAL, and is certainly not a use case that was anticipated by DIWG. We
do not discount it, but we would not suggest using it as an example of
how DIAL is intended to be used. By focussing on the article, we may be
causing unnecessary distraction from the true intent of DIAL. I suggest
that a reading of the DIAL Primer [1] would be better.

---Rotan.

[1] http://www.w3.org/TR/dial-primer/

-----Original Message-----
From: www-di-request@w3.org [mailto:www-di-request@w3.org] On Behalf Of
Johannes Koch
Sent: 18 October 2006 16:11
To: www-di@w3.org
Subject: Re: Innovative use of DIAL for IT management


Rotan Hanrahan schrieb:
> -     Is a document compliant to DIAL if it is XML format?
>  
> No. The fragments being generated by the adaptors could, as suggested,

> be valid subsets of a DIAL document. As DIAL is itself an XML 
> language, the adaptors must also be producing XML.

Is a DIAL adaptor really required to only produce XML? What about
non-XML formats (e.g. HTML)? Or is this transformation considered to be
a process following the adaptation?
--
Johannes Koch
In te domine speravi; non confundar in aeternum.
                             (Te Deum, 4th cent.)

Received on Wednesday, 18 October 2006 15:31:25 UTC