- From: Dick Brooks <dick@8760.com>
- Date: Sat, 9 Dec 2000 14:21:59 -0600
- To: "Henrik Frystyk Nielsen" <frystyk@microsoft.com>, "David E. Cleary" <davec@progress.com>, <xml-dist-app@w3.org>
Henrik, At one point "Jean-Jacques Moreau" <moreau@crf.canon.fr> suggested the following verbiage for DR008: [ "the XML Protocol Working Group recognizes that some applications of the XML Protocol will require the exchange of arbitrary non-XML or binary data such as JPEG and PNG. To facilitate such implementations, the XML Protocol Working Group may illustrate how such exchanges may be accomplished in a non-normative section of the XML Protocol specification. These illustrations will [attempt to] leverage the work already done in this area by the ebXML and RosettaNet groups." ] ref: http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/xml-dist-app/2000Dec/0030.html You responded by indicating there are existing options for dealing with binary content, stating: [ It is important to point out that there are already ways for dealing with so-called binary data without XP having to invent anything: * Data can be carried as hex encoded data within the envelope * Data can be referenced using a URI from within the envelope ] ref: http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/xml-dist-app/2000Dec/0031.html The URI in "option 2" **could** contain an absolute reference (URL) to a remote location (meaning the binary data is not contained in the same MIME envelope containing the XP document). This would require an XP processor to issue a separate "GET" method to retrieve the binary data. I posted a message listing some issues/concerns with your suggestions, ref: http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/xml-dist-app/2000Dec/0046.html [ Accessing binary data thru a URI (pass be reference semantics) requires binary data to be accessible from the Internet (in e-commerce scenarios), for example on a web (or FTP) server. This opens the door to security issues, especially access control issues. For example, suppose the binary data is a medical X-ray. It's very likely this data would be protected by access control (username/password or similar). ] I'm not concerned with Uri's that reference MIME body parts occurring within the same message as an XP PDU, as is done by ebXML's manifest solution or the SOAP with attachments spec. If "remote" access of binary data is "in XP's scope" then more details are needed for dealing with security issues (e.g. access control), error handling/reporting) and more. Dick Brooks Group 8760 110 12th Street North Birmingham, AL 35203 dick@8760.com 205-250-8053 Fax: 205-250-8057 http://www.8760.com/ InsideAgent - Empowering e-commerce solutions
Received on Saturday, 9 December 2000 15:25:51 UTC