ConeSearch and TabularSkyService

[Ray Plante]

On Fri, 2 Jul 2004, Tony Linde wrote:
> Hmm. I'd always assumed the TABLE/COLUMN/etc stuff was a description of what
> could be queried using ADQL - ie, the tables and columns in the dataset. But
> in the case of a cone search, it is the data which is returned. Yes?

For SIA (also a TabularSkyService), it's a little of both, because the SIA
standard allows servers to support searching on more columns.

> Is it ALL the data which is returned? But you cannot be sure as it isn't
> mandatory. Does a cone search have a getMetadata() equivalent?

Yes, it has a getMetadata() equivalent.  The spec states that one gets the
metadata back in the form of a VOTable with zero rows when the input 
radius argument is set to zero.  This behavior is required.  (In SIA, one 
gets the same by setting FORMAT=METADATA.)

There is some ambiguity with regard to the verbose argument; other than 
that, all of the columns returned in a regular query should be returned in 
a metadata query.

> is there an IVOA doc defining cone search
> services?

NVO has hosted this; unfortunately, it got removed when our site was 
redesigned this year.  I've been lobbying to get it (and other documents) 
back on-line.  

There are no plans currently to push this through the IVOA process, but 
will remain a documented, de facto standard.  

cheers,
Ray