TAP 1.0: Substantive comments.

[Patrick Dowler]

On Monday 31 August 2009 10:26:01 you wrote:
> > If instead we were to use a parameter to associate the upload with
> > a table what might this look like and what would we gain?  We might
> > have something like the following (not yet a carefully thought out
> > proposal):
> >
> >      UPLOAD=myTable,inline:<multipart-name>
> >
> > which would associate the named table myTable with an inline uploaded
> > file.
>
> I think I like this.

I agree - this looks workable and has a nice symmetry.

> Just to clarify with an example.  We might have parameters
>
>     UPLOAD=mytable,inline:mytable;yourtable,http://your.host/table.xml
>     mytable=<?XML...><VOTABLE>...</VOTABLE>
>
> [where mytable would likely be populated as a file upload but this
> is not required.]
>
> This uploads two tables, yourtable which is specified through an
> external URL, and mytable which is uploaded as part of the query.

Since one could use a VOSpace URI (vos://) as the second value in an UPLOAD, 
it looks like we are basically talking about defining a URI scheme for 
"inline".... so then we are down to Tom's point about making sure it doesn't 
collide with anything. 

A detail question: in interacting with an async (UWS-based) service, one can 
set params on the server side in a series of POSTs, starting with the POST 
that creates the job. That is, one can create the job, then POST various 
params u pto the point where one POSTs PHASE=RUN to start the job. Once you 
start a job you can no longer modify it. So, if one is to use 

UPLOAD=mytable_name,inline:mytable_content

would the inline content have to be delivered in the same POST as the UPLOAD 
param that connects the TAP table name with the content? I would assume this 
is required but just checking that this is what we mean. 

-- 

Patrick Dowler
Tel/Tél: (250) 363-0044
Canadian Astronomy Data Centre
National Research Council Canada
5071 West Saanich Road
Victoria, BC V9E 2M7

Centre canadien de donnees astronomiques
Conseil national de recherches Canada
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Victoria (C.-B.) V9E 2M7