Re: Xml Schema profile

Re: Xml Schema profileI wonder why they do not base it on a comprehensive spec, such as ISO/IEC 11404 "Language Independent Datatypes". 

Simon Cox
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: David Ezell 
  To: Michael Kay ; Paul Kiel ; xmlschema-dev@w3c.org ; Jeff Rafter 
  Cc: paul.downey@bt.com 
  Sent: Thursday, July 20, 2006 6:04 AM
  Subject: Re: Xml Schema profile


  Last year, the W3C organized a workshop, hosted at Oracle, addressing this issue (among others).  

  The chairs' summary of the workshop is at 
  http://www.w3.org/2005/06/21-schema-workshop/chairs-report.html 

  It contains pointers to the agenda, and the minutes of both days of the workshop (including pictures). 
  Most major software vendors attended this meeting.  The original subject of the workshop was raised by WSI:  "what to do about XML Schema Profiling."

  I think the minutes and the chairs' summaries give a fair indication of industry consensus, at least in May 2005.  I don't know that much has changed since that point.  My personal take-away from the workshop was that many participants thought a profile might be useful, but gaining consensus on what it might actually be seemed a daunting task.  (N.B. XML Schema itself is an attempt to "profile" what most people want.)

  The W3C response was to create a "databinding WG" in the Web Services Activity that is addressing these concerns.  They do their work in public space, and I know they are eager for input from concerned folks, so I strongly recommend that you take a look at their accomplishments so far:

  http://www.w3.org/2002/ws/databinding/ 

  This group really is concerned with interoperability of XML languages defined in XML Schema. 

  Hope this helps. 

  Best regards, 
  David Ezell