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Re: [Summary] Best Practice for URI construction?

• To: "Costello, Roger L." <costello@m...>,"XML Developers List" <xml-dev@l...>
• Subject: Re: [Summary] Best Practice for URI construction?
• From: "Pete Cordell" <petexmldev@t...>
• Date: Wed, 21 Dec 2005 15:55:51 -0000
• References: <B8415163A689094689542C617ECA03665836EE@I...>

Just a thought...

are there any merits in doing:

http://www.location.org/country=US/state=MA/city=Boston

This has the potential to provide more documentation to a human than:

http://www.location.org/US/MA/Boston

where the hierarchy may not be obvious.

Naturally country=US is a single token rather than two tokens separated by 
an =.  Does this make it mis-leading?

Pete.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Costello, Roger L." <costello@m...>
To: "XML Developers List" <xml-dev@l...>
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2005 2:01 PM
Subject:  [Summary] Best Practice for URI construction?


Hi Folks,

Excellent discussions!

I have carefully read all the messages.  Below I have attempted to
summarize what seem to be the conclusions of the group.  If I have
totally missed it, please let me know.

Issue: When constructing a URL, should the "path form" be favored, or
should the "query form" be favored?

Here's an example of the path form of URL construction:

http://www.location.org/US/MA/Boston

Here's an example of the query form of URL construction:

http://www.location.org?country=US&state=MA&city=Boston

Best Practice: there is no definitive "best practice" mandating a
certain form should always be be used when constructing a URL.  Always
consider the whole system when constructing a URL.  That said, there
are some general guidelines to follow when constructing URLs:

1. When hierarchy is intrinsic in the identification (naming) of a
resource then favor the path form of URL construction.

Example: Boston is within Massachusetts, which is within the USA.
There exists a natural hierarchy in the identification (naming) of the
Boston resource.  Thus, the path form of URL should be favored, e.g.,

http://www.location.org/US/MA/Boston

This query form is less favorable:

http://www.location.org?country=US&state=MA&city=Boston

This hybrid form is also less favorable:

http://www.location.org/US/MA?city=Boston

2. When there is no intrinsic hierarchy in the identification or naming
of a resource then the query form is favored, e.g.,

Boston may be identified by its latitude and longitude (42.358N,
-71.06W).  There is no intrinsic, natural hierarchy between latitude
and longitude.  So, when using the latitude and longitude to identify
(name) the Boston resource then use the query form:

http://www.location.org?latitude=42.358N&longitude=-71.06W

Comments?  /Roger

--
=============================================
Pete Cordell
Tech-Know-Ware Ltd
for XML to C++ data binding visit
http://www.tech-know-ware.com/lmx
(or http://www.xml2cpp.com)
=============================================

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