Model question

Hi folks,

A discussion has come up on our GridIR list (http://www.gridir.org) 
about models.  To aid that discussion, I have a question about the 
Z39.50 model.

The search service provides a method for applying a query expression 
"directly" against a set of databases (DB), generating a logical, 
server-side result set (RS).  The present service provides a method for 
retrieval of records from a RS.  The RS is *not* modelled directly as a 
DB, that is, the search service may not use an RS directly as if it were 
a DB.  However, type-1 and type-101 queries (at least), allow one to 
include an RS reference as an operand, *effectively* turning an RS into 
a DB, though with some (minor?) loss of functionality.

Was including an RS as a query operand a clever afterthought to avoid 
changing the underlying data model, or is there a more significant 
reason to maintain the DB/RS model distinction?

Thanks!
Kevin

-- 
Kevin Gamiel <kgamiel@cnidr.org>
MCNC Center for Networked Information Discovery and Retrieval (CNIDR)
http://www.mcnc.org
http://www.cnidr.org

Received on Thursday, 24 July 2003 09:22:52 UTC