RE: Model question

Result sets exist because every reference service from time immemorial
provided them.  The logic being that it is cheaper to refine a result set
than to redo the original search with an extra term in it.

Result sets are NOT databases.  The model claims that they are reasonably
static.  Databases are not static.

Ralph

-----Original Message-----
From: Kevin Gamiel [mailto:kgamiel@cnidr.org]
Sent: Thursday, July 24, 2003 9:23 AM
To: www-zig@w3.org
Subject: 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 Saturday, 26 July 2003 16:30:00 UTC