Gaia XML Elements
Common attributes used
Common attributes are described below
- id
- A unique reference to the element. They are generated as element-name_number to ensure uniqueness. Examples:
node_1
, channel_10
.
- node_id, channel_id etc
- The value of the corresponding ID field in the database. The values are guaranteed to be unique for that type of element, but not within the entire document. node_id etc provides easier access in JavaScript. Note that there is no guarantee that the values are continous. Values usually start at 1.
- xlink
- For linking from XML document to other documents (both XML and non-XML).
XML Elements
continent
Name of a continent. Recognised values are: Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. Contains no elements.
country
Name of a country (in English). Contains no elements.
data_channel
Data channel, such as the filter selection from an all-sky imager. Contains elements:
- name (required)
- is_greyscale (true | false) (Would this be better to be an attribute?)
- keogram_fstr (required)
- thumbnail_fstr (optional)
- start/end dates (how best to implement? Separate optional dates with attribute start or end?)
- description
- mirror_list (required, but can be empty; or optional?)
- fallback_server
institute
Academic, research or other institute responsible in some way for the data production. Contains elements:
- name (required)
- address (optional?)
- country? (else names may clash between countries)
latitude
Geographic (or maybe
geodetic latitude). Valid values: -90 <= value <= 90. North is positive.
location
A geographic location. Contains elements:
- latitude (required)
- longitude (required)
- placename (optional)
- state/county/province? (optional)
- country (optional)
- continent (optional)
longitude
Geographic (or maybe
geodetic longitude). Valid values: -180 <= value <= 360. East is positive.
node
A mode from which GAIA data may be fetched (not all nodes will store all data), and which will support REST web services. Contains elements:
- location
- timeout
- description
- online (or maybe this should be an attribute?)
Test implementation uses the following elements:
- continent
- country
- timeout
- description
- online
- icon (with required attributes width and height)
nodes
List of
nodes
, possibly containing some which are offline. Contains elements:
person
Person, eg for contact details. Contains elements:
- firstname (optional)
- lastname (required)
- email (optional)
- url/uri/homepage?
- institute (optional, one max)
placename
Placename, normally with native spelling.
project
Project.

give definition for
project.
Contains elements:
- name (required)
- abbreviation (required)
- institute (1+ required)
- principal_investigators (1+ required?)
- contacts (optional, any number)
- rules_of_the_road?
- citation?
- data_acknowledgement_text?
station
Somewhere where data is recorded.
- abbreviation (required)
- location (required? Need to have an alternate selection,
location
or satellite
?)
- satellite? (see above)
- data_channel (1+)
Notes
- It would be helpful if the elements we use in all XML documents have the same basic meaning (e.g., abbreviation is a short word, no spaces etc, regardless of project abbreviation, site abbreviation etc.)
-
mirror_list
may need to be empty, unless mirror_list
itself is optional for data_channels
.
- Synchronisation details for data channels deliberately ommitted (public disclosure not desirable).
- Should
project
contain multiple institutes
, or should they be contained inside an institute_list
?
- How should start and end dates be entered? As multiple
date
elements, with start and end name/type attributes?
- Need some kind of XML interface for data availability.
Topic revision: r7 - 2007-02-01 - 06:34:47 -
SteveMarple