RE: [XCON] Discussion Point 3: Querying Templates

["Chris Boulton" <cboulton at ubiquity.net>]

Comments In-line

 [as chair]

At the Boston meeting, there was a consensus around the ability to query

a server that implements the XCON protocols to determine which templates

it understands.

There was some additional discussion, but no consensus, around the 
ability to query a server about a particular template to retrieve a 
description -- probably an XML document, but possibly in some other form

-- of that template. The idea behind this functionality would be 
enabling clients to interact with templates that they don't natively 
understand. That is, by extracting the variables from the template 
description and presenting them to the user in some format that allows 
manipulation of their values, all clients can work with all templates, 
even those that were not defined when the client was developed.

Is this an important property? 

[Chris Boulton] Most definitely important if templates are to remain
flexible. 

If so, what is the format in which the 
template description should be presented?

[Chris Boulton] XML Schema - as in current templates draft.  This then
supplies all relevant information that a client needs.

 Does the client retrieve this 
description from the server itself, or is there some centralized 
repository to get these descriptions from?

[Chris Boulton] I would imagine that XCON server would want to advertise
exactly what is supported by the server.

 Can it be the same as the XML 
schema that is registered with IANA?

[Chris Boulton] I think it should be the same.

 Is this description sent at the 
same time as the list of templates is sent to the client, or does a 
client need to explicitly ask about templates that it doesn't 
understand?

[Chris Boulton] I would imagine that a client would need to query any
templates that it doesn't understand THEN make a decision on
compatibility.

 If we use the XML schema to describe the template, should we 
include user interface "hints" that allow clients to intelligently 
decide whether to display values as (e.g.) a slider versus a knob versus

a number that can be typed in?

[Chris Boulton] Yes - interface hints need to be included e.g. here are
some examples taken from the current template draft:-

<control type ="boolean" name="mute" default="true" enable="true"/>
<control type="boolean" name="mute" default="false" enable="true"/>

/a

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