[Odrl-version2] Challenge with XML Encoding: Using QNames for Compact URIs

[Myles, Stuart]

As mentioned on this list last year [1], the current draft of the ODRL
v2 XML Encoding encourages the use of compact URIs
http://odrl.net/2.0/WD-ODRL-XML.html#section-2
<http://odrl.net/2.0/WD-ODRL-XML.html>  but requires the use of QNames
http://www.w3.org/TR/xml-names/#ns-qualnames
<http://www.w3.org/TR/xml-names/>  to do so.

The problem is that QNames are really designed for specifying namespaces
in W3C XML schema and so  have a very restrictive syntax.  Thus it is
not possible to express many legal URIs using the QName syntax.  I have
a use case for ODRL, in which I need to express Designated Market Areas
(DMAs), which are numeric codes.  However, the QName syntax doesn't
allow identifiers which start with a number.  Therefore, I cannot
specify my DMAs as

dma:350

Although I can specify a URI like http://dma.example.com/dma/350.
Having a compact way to specify a URI is extremely helpful, for a number
of reasons.  The IPTC have invented "qcodes" for exactly this situation.
Essentially, they are exactly like QNames, except they allow you to
encode any legal HTTP URI.  If ODRL v2 were to adopt the qcode
mechanism, I could use "dma:350".  Would ODRL consider adopting qcodes
for the XML Encoding?

Regards,

Stuart
--
[1]
http://odrl.net/pipermail/odrl-version2_odrl.net/2010-October/000210.htm
l


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