VOParquet document

[Mark Taylor]

Dear Apps,

I have drafted a document on use of the parquet file format in the VO,
specifically defining a covention for use of VOTable to add rich
metadata to parquet files.  You can find it on github here: 

   https://github.com/ivoa/voparquet

I have started a few Issues to invite comments on particular aspects of
the text; if you are interested please contribute to these, create new
issues, or submit pull requests.

As agreed in the Apps telecon of 5 November and at the Malta Interop,
the aim is to get agreement on this on a short timescale, so that
projects that are writing or about to write parquet files in bulk
can do so interoperably.

My suggestion therefore is to gather comments and make updates by
*the end of this calendar year*, so it can be published
(as a Note or possibly towards Endorsed Note, TBD) in the first
weeks of 2025.  If there are major disagreements that schedule
might have to slip, but I'm currently optimistic that won't
be the case.

If you think that this timescale is too ambitious, please follow up 
this message.

Thanks

Mark

--
Mark Taylor  Astronomical Programmer  Physics, Bristol University, UK
m.b.taylor at bristol.ac.uk          https://www.star.bristol.ac.uk/mbt/