Re: ETF: Issue 47 (SOAP Data Model)

Attached is a new version of the proposed text for the "SOAP Data Model" 
section in part 2 of the specification. This addresses comments against 
the previously proposed text[1].

The new text retains the reference to "multistructs" pending resolution 
of this issue.

Comments, flames etc ?

Regards,
Marc.

[1] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/xml-dist-app/2001Nov/0219.html

-- 
Marc Hadley <marc.hadley@sun.com>
XML Technology Centre, Sun Microsystems.

3 SOAP Data Model

The SOAP data model represents information as a graph of typed
objects. The type system used in the SOAP data model is a
generalization of the common features found in type systems in
programming languages, databases and semi-structured data. A type is
either a simple (scalar) type or is a compound type constructed as a
composite of several other typed parts. Examples of simple types are
"string," "integer," enumeration, etc.

Compound types are described as follows:

   1. Within a compound type, each part is potentially distinguished
      by a name, ordinal or both. This is called its "accessor". It is
      possible to have compound types with several accessors each
      named the same, as for example, RDF does.

   2. An "array" is a compound type in which ordinal position serves
      as the only distinction between member parts.

   3. A "struct" is a compound type in which accessor name is the
      only distinction among member parts, and no accessor has the
      same name as any other.

   4. In some cases it may be necessary for more than one accessor to
      reference the same instance of part of a compound type. If only
      one accessor references it, an instance is considered
      "single-reference". If referenced by more than one it is
      "multi-reference."

Section 4 (SOAP Encoding) describes how to serialise instances of data
that conform to this data model for inclusion in SOAP messages. See
section 5 (Using SOAP for RPC) for an example use of this data model.