[OAI-implementers] XML Schema

[Leigh Dodds]

Hi,

Is there any expectation that other schema languages will be
supported by OAI? E.g. by extending the ListMetadataFormats
request to allow an schema language identifier in the metadataFormat
element?

E.g.

<metadataFormat>
<metadataPrefix>oai_rfc1807</metadataPrefix>
<schema>http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/1.1/rfc1807.xsd</schema>
<schemaNamespace>http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance</schemaNamespace>
</metadataFormat>
<metadataFormat>
<metadataPrefix>oai_rfc1807</metadataPrefix>
<schema>http://www.foo.org/OAI/1.1/rfc1807.sch</schema>
<schemaNamespace>http://www.ascc.net/xml/schematron</schemaNamespace>
</metadataFormat>

This might be used to supply schemas in multiple formats for a given
metadataPrefix, or use alternatives to XML Schema.

On the surface this doesn't seem to harm interoperability, as W3C XML Schema
could still be maintained as the primary schema format, while supporting
other options if necessary.

(In any case the particular XML schema referenced may actually contain
a mixture of schema languages, using the annotation mechanism.)

Cheers,

L.

--
Leigh Dodds, Research Group, Ingenta | "Pluralitas non est ponenda
http://weblogs.userland.com/eclectic |    sine necessitate"
http://www.xml.com/pub/xmldeviant    |     -- William of Ockham