[oslc-core] Writing about forming URIs and query parameters

[Steve K Speicher]

I agree with what Arthur writes.  Sounds good to me.

Thanks,
Steve Speicher | IBM Rational Software | (919) 254-0645


Arthur Ryman <ryman at ca.ibm.com> wrote on 03/17/2010 11:38:49 AM:
 
> I suggest something like the following:
> 
> An HTTP URI may contain an optional query string (see RFC 1738 or 3986) 
> which is appended to some base URI and separated from it by a "?" 
> character. The query string often has the syntax of a sequence of 
> name-value pairs. The names that appear in the query string are referred 

> to as query parameters. 
> 
> OSLC defines several standard query parameters, e.g. oslc.properties, 
that 
> OSLC services MAY use. 
> 
> For example, when a base URI identifies some OSLC domain entity, such as 
a 
> Requirement, the oslc.properties query parameter may be appended to it 
in 
> order to select a subset of the domain entity's properties to be 
returned 
> in the response to an HTTP GET request.
> 
> [1] http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1738
> [2] http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc3986
> 

> 
> From: Dave <snoopdave at gmail.com>
> 
> Some of the text in the query resource and oslc.properties sections of
> the Core Spec DRAFT are a little confusing because I'm trying to
> constrain the way I write about URIs and resources. I'm trying to
> stick to the definitions in the glossary. I still have not found the
> correct language and I've been waiting until we merge in the Query
> Syntax stuff before fixing the prose.
> 
> One thing I want to avoid is language that says things like "a
> resource supports query parameters" because that is not really
> consistent with the notions of URI and resource. Every different URI
> indicates a different resource and query parameters are part of the
> URI. So, for example, this URI:
> 
>    a) http://example.com/issues/issue501
> 
> Points to a completely different resource than this URI:
> 
>    b) http://example.com/issues/issue501?oslc.properties=dc:title
> 
> In the example above, we have some data item "issue501" and the two
> resources above are two different ways to look, or two different views
> of that resource. The resource (b) is related to (a) because it is a
> subset of the property values of (a).
> 
> Instead of using language like this: "resource URI supports an
> oslc.properties parameter that allows a client to return a subset of
> properties" I would prefer to use language more like this: "If you
> have a resource URI and you would like to obtain a subset of the
> property values in that resource, you can form URIs to subsets by
> adding the oslc.properties query parameter."
> 
> And that is what I've been trying to do, but so far I have had limited
> success. Thoughts?
> 
> Thanks,
> - Dave
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