data models and xml

[Roy Williams]

Jonathan

I personally reached a fundamental understanding in this morning's telecon
about the role of data models. I had though before was an intention to
mandate how developers write code, and was therefore unsympathetic. But what
I understand now is that a data model is equivalent to an XML schema (or
UML, or Java class, or C++ header or whatever). Is that right?

So the data model for the SIA protocol is equivalent to an alternate SIA
that does not return VOTable, but rather an XML document specifically
designed for SIA (let's call it SIAPX). There would be elements in the XML
like <dataset><url> and <wcs><crpix>.

Once we can agree on the SIAPX schema, it is a very short step to the SOAP
version of SIA -- something we have been waiting a long time for.

Do I have it right?
Roy

--------
Caltech Center for Advanced Computing Research
roy at cacr.caltech.edu
626 395 3670