Query message format

I've just proposed to the AstroGrid group that we base the format of messages containing queries (eg from client, portal or workflow component to registry or dataset) on the W3C XQuery standard:

http://forum.astrogrid.org/read.php?TID=314&page=#971

I know there's no way that IVOA could determine a standard in time for AstroGrid (we need it now) but I wanted to find out if anyone knew of any 'just cause or impediment' why we should not use XQuery.

Note that I'm not proposing XQuery as the Astronomical Query Language (ie something that an astronomer would type into a query processor) but as the format in which such a query would be passed from one component to another.

Have a read of my proposal and let us know if there are any strong objections. We'll add any comments here to those of the AstroGrid group in the forum when our Technical Support Panel discusses the issue on 27th Feb.

Cheers,
Tony.

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Tony Linde                       Phone:  +44 (0)116 223 1292
AstroGrid Project Manager        Fax:    +44 (0)116 252 3311
Dept of Physics & Astronomy      Mobile: +44 (0)7753 603356
University of Leicester          Email:  ael-at-star.le.ac.uk
Leicester, UK   LE1 7RH          Web:    http://www.astrogrid.org