[log in to unmask] wrote:
> dc.agent.creator
> dc.agent.contributor
> dc.agent.publisher
> has huge advantages over
> dc.creator
> dc.contributor
> dc.publisher
> The first syntax has the added benefit of more easily finding records
> where Macmillan has any role. For example, the query
> find dc.agent.* = "Macmillan"
> would require Boolean logic to reproduce using the second syntax:
> find dc.creator = "Macmillan" OR dc.contributor = "Macmillan" OR
> dc.publisher = "Macmillan"
I do not understand this.
What is there that absolutely _requires_ the internal schema of the
hypothetical computer system you use as an example to be an exact and
verbatim replica of the external schema (i.e. the DC syntax)?
Or in other words, _if_ you _really_ think that this agent thingy is
such a jolly good idea, what stops you from creating a system that
takes an external schema such as this:
dc.creator
dc.contributor
dc.publisher
the maps into an internal schema that looks like this:
dc.agent.creator
dc.agent.contributor
dc.agent.publisher
... and after having done so, you can go ahead and do a:
find dc.agent.* = "Macmillan"
or whatever search language syntax you have choosen to implement?
To me, these two alternate syntaxes are exact semantic eqivalents.
And they also provides the implementor with the same possibilities
as far as opportunities for creating all sort of functionality for
searching metadata, including the one you use as an example.
The only difference is that introducing the "agent" syntax in the
external schema adds 6 bytes of noise to each property (OK,
bandwidth and disk space these days) and (much more important) creates
a completely unneccessary incompatability with RFC2413 (because
"dc.agent" is not a DC 1.0 property).
--
- gisle hannemyr ( [log in to unmask] - http://home.sol.no/home/gisle/ )
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"Use the Source, Luke. Use the Source." -- apologies to Obi-Wan Kenobi
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