Problems about the Spectrum Data Model from the view of a Web Service programmer

[Rob Seaman]

Matthew says:

> there is nothing wrong with mixed content.
> In fact, it is used elsewhere in the IVOA already [...]
> we should be consistent right across the IVOA

Oooh!  A good time to trot out an Emerson quote:

	A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds

There is an implicit proposal on the hypothetical table.  It goes  
something like:

	While mixed XML content is strictly legal, it is likely to
	reveal limitations of tools and libraries adopted by IVOA.
	As such, no IVOA Recommendations will permit XML
	documents containing:
		- non-empty elements with attributes
		- elements enclosing both sub-elements and literal values

Further, there appears to be a suggestion that numbers must be  
written as attributes:

>> Why actually do we need that number right between the tags instead  
>> of in an attribute?

so also forbid:

		- non-string values, not written as attributes

If this is the proposal, I'll open the polling with a "no" vote.
Another word for "mixed" content is "flexible" content.

Rob Seaman
NOAO
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