Media-typing binary data in XML (restart)

Hi, in fulfillment of my action item I'm hereby attempting to restart
the discussion on media-typing binary data in XML.

By media-typing I mean providing the media type as defined by RFC 2045
and 2046.

In July, I proposed [1] a new section to be added to our document, that
would cover PASWA [2] sections 3, 7 and appendix I. I basically copied
the appropriate text from PASWA. Mark Nottingham reacted [3] to that by
presenting a few different options for providing media types to binary
data in XML. On a related topic, Philippe le Hegaret summarized a few
different approaches [4] for the WS-Description WG. Subsequently, the
WS-Description WG has agreed to do some work in this area.

Media-typing binary data in XML is going to be useful (IMO necessary)
for the Representation header work we're about to start. As the actual
media-typing specification work has moved to the WS-Desc WG, I suggest
that we collect the requirements we have on the media-typing spec. Below
is a first-cut list of requirements that I gathered from what I think
Representation header will need:

     1. It must be possible to indicate unambiguously the media type of
        a piece of binary data that's present as base64-encoded
        character content of an element information item.
     2. It must be possible to indicate in XML Schema what media type
        the character content of an element ii will have.
     3. It should be possible to specify a set of such media types, see
        the HTTP Accept header (RFC 2616).

All this can be done specifically for the Representation header if it
turns out a generic solution is too contentious or just not useful. 8-)

Hope it helps,

                   Jacek Kopecky

                   Systinet Corporation
                   http://www.systinet.com/

[1] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/xml-dist-app/2003Jul/0013.html
[2] http://www.gotdotnet.com/team/jeffsch/paswa/paswa61.html
[3] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/xml-dist-app/2003Jul/0049.html
[4] http://www.w3.org/2003/09/0912-media-types.html

Received on Thursday, 30 October 2003 08:03:15 UTC