[QUANTITY] doc consistency

[Brian Thomas]

On Wednesday 19 May 2004 12:46 pm, Pierre Didelon wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Pierre Didelon wrote:
> > Another point concerning all the levels is related to serialisation. As
> > you outlined it, it is  a very important point and I feel that a
> > corresponding method would preferably included in the interface
> > definition at each level.
>
> May I insists?
> It would be nice to materialise the serialization possibility
> of quantity by a method, appearing in clase Frame or BasicQuantity.

	Perhaps just a historical note, but the earlier versions of the interface
	the editors  had a serialization method (I think "toXML()") but it was argued 
	that this was bad design..the implementing packages for the VO interfaces 
	would/could have a variety of ways of serializing. Indeed, later in your
	email you write some possibilities:

> be pure_xml, VOTable, ASCII, Fits, SQL Statements... 

	So its clear that we have to be more exact than "toXML()" or "serialize()"
	if such methods are to be included in the interface. 

	So, for these reasons, it was decided to delay consideration of including 
	serialization (and deserialization) methods in the VO interfaces. Perhaps
	we are nearing a time when they should be considered again, but I would
	favor waiting until the summer to pick up that thread again.


	Regards,


	=b.t.



-- 

  * Dr. Brian Thomas 

  * Dept of Astronomy/University of Maryland-College Park 
  * Code 630.1/Goddard Space Flight Center-NASA

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