TAP WD 1.0: single result/single table/single file?

[Douglas Tody]

Hi Alberto -

Well I guess this needs to be clarified in the document, but as this
is a relational query interface the intention has always been that a
single table is returned.  VOTable is not a table BTW, it is a generic
container than can contain a table as well as other things (as with
FITS MEF).  I suppose one might try to sneak other things in there,
but so far as TAP is concerned the VOTable contains a single table
(not file) providing the results for the query.

 	- Doug


On Fri, 10 Jul 2009, Alberto Micol wrote:

>
> In paragraph 2.2.2 (towards the end):
>
>> Successful TAP queries always produce a single _result_, [...]
>
> Hence it should be a *must*. (picky)
>
> In par. 2.7.1 (first sentence):
>
>> The result of a data query or a metadata query *must* be a single _table_.
>
> Indeed it is a must. Worth putting a forward reference in 2.2.2 pointing to 
> 2.7.1?
>
>
> Now the main point is: should it be a single "result" or a single "table"?
> And what is a "table" in this context?
>
> The doubt is the following:
>
> Is a VOTABLE with multiple TABLEs and RESOURCEs inside
> considered a valid single "table" ?
>
> May it should read: a single "file" ?
>
> This actually came from a chat with Francois Bonnarel who reads 2.7.1 as if
> only a single TABLE within the resulting VOTABLE is allowed,
> while my interpretation is that a single VOTable (or whatever format)
> must be produced, leaving complete freedom on what it contains:
> it could be a FITS MEF with a BINTABLE in extension 1, and then a IMAGE in 
> extension 2, etc.
> Who's right? ;-)
>
> Thanks for the clarification,
>
> Alberto