> > Yes, but since the XML file has a URI to the data file, if you have the
> > XML you can always find the data, and the XML is the thing you push down
> > the wire.
>
> Yes, that's what the IRAF designers thought too. But if you move the data
> to another location, but do not (or cannot) alter the URI in the XML file
> say because you have already sent it out?
Thats why the URI shouldn't point to a file but to something like a broker, or an agent, or even a registry, rather than to a file.
> Or if you lose the XML file with the metadata, and just get left with
> the raw data?
As Guy has pointed out your idea that we're taking about XML as a file isn't really correct...
However the raw data should be interpretable on its own, at least by a human, its only the software that will have problems without the meta-data layer.
Al. Received on 2004-01-20Z18:18:29