Standardising units and formats (and ref frames?) in transmission

[Alberto Micol]

> On 18 May 2009, at 18:22, Roy Williams wrote:
>
> I agree with Alberto that restricting the diversity of units is a very 
> effective strategy, easier and perhaps more effective than building 
> complex infrastructure to handle that diversity.
>
Thank you Roy,
> Proposal: As a first step, perhaps we could agree to have "No 
> Sexagesimal Inside"?
>
> Note: While users will see sexagesimal in the VO, it should always be 
> created at the final, presentation stage, along with the choice of 
> font sizes and colors. While users will be able to input sexagesimal 
> in the search boxes, it should always be converted by the browser to 
> decimal before going to the server.
>
> Consequence: Given that VOTable always needs conversion before a human 
> sees it, the proposal implies no VOTable or database should have any 
> sexagesimal notation anywhere in it.

I would not push it to the database level, data providers do what they 
want inside their DBs:
if a published catalog contains dd:mm:ss, and that is preserved in the 
DB, I have nothing to say.

But,

while the user, if so wishes, has the right to request the piece of data 
as originally written by the catalog's authors,
the VO could require that a piece of data is transmitted using the 
standard VO representation of it.

Interoperability & user needs, the two ends of the VO.

Alberto