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cc-devel - Re: [cc-devel] liblicense: named constant URIs

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Subject: Developer discussion for Creative Commons technology and tools

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  • From: Jon Phillips <jon AT rejon.org>
  • To: Jason Kivlighn <jkivlighn AT gmail.com>
  • Cc: creative commons developers <cc-devel AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [cc-devel] liblicense: named constant URIs
  • Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2007 21:49:50 -0700

On Wed, 2007-09-05 at 21:01 -0700, Jason Kivlighn wrote:
> Another thought on the difference between the two methods is that
>
> ll_get_attribute(license_uri, LL_ATTRIBUTE_URI_CREATOR, 0)
>
> would allow third-party attributes to be used, without altering the
> liblicense API. However, I'm not sure it that's something we want to
> encourage or not.

The Open Font License adds some attributes and if we want to get other
licenses to express themselves with RDF, would be good, right?

If you all agree, sounds good to me.

> I also think that ll_get_attribute should leave off the last parameter and
> we'd include another method, say, ll_get_attribute_localized. The most
> common use of ll_get_attribute doesn't use the last parameter, so the API
> would be cleaner for the most common case.
>
> Cheers,
> Jason

Cool...Peter, what are you thinking now?

Jon

>
> > Today on #cc there was some discussion about the use of helper functions
> > vs the use of named constant URIs. This came about as a comment by
> > paulproteus (sorry, don't know mapping from IRC handle to email address)
> > on a recent commit by me (pmiller) of the ll_license_get_creator and
> > ll_license_get_publisher functions.
> >
> > The question was: which of the following is better in the public API?
> >
> > ll_get_attribute(license_uri, LL_ATTRIBUTE_URI_CREATOR, 0)
> >
> > or
> >
> > ll_license_get_creator(license_uri)
> >
> > The second form is quite simply a wrapper function which uses the first
> > form.
> >
> > My feeling is that both are desirable. The first is great for
> > generality and experts, when code wants to loop over every attribute in
> > a license. The second form simply has less for beginners to get wrong.
> > Both forms can be made equally robust in the face of changes in the
> > spelling of the actual attribute URIs. We already had wrapper functions
> > like this before ll_license_get_creator and ll_license_get_publisher
> > were committed, so the API remains self consistent.
> >
> > We agree on something: neither of us likes the
> > "http://creativecommons.org/ns#blah"; constant strings in the code. They
> > should appear exactly once, and replace uses with named constants.
> >
> >
> > A second point of discussion: which of the following forms should be
> > used to define the constants?
> >
> > #define LL_ATTRIBUTE_URI_CREATOR "http://blah...";
> >
> > or
> >
> > extern const char LL_ATTRIBUTE_URI_CREATOR[];
> >
> > we both like the second form, but for different reasons. Robustness
> > mentioned above would use the second form.
> >
> >
> > Attached is a patch which implements what we were talking about, or at
> > least what I *think* we were talking about. I haven't committed it yet,
> > I would like some discussion first.
> >
> >
> > Regards
> > Peter Miller <millerp AT canb.auug.org.au>
> > /\/\* http://miller.emu.id.au/pmiller/
> >
> > PGP public key ID: 1024D/D0EDB64D
> > fingerprint = AD0A C5DF C426 4F03 5D53 2BDB 18D8 A4E2 D0ED B64D
> > See http://www.keyserver.net or any PGP keyserver for public key.
> >
> > "This is terribly unsatisfying." "It's far more satisfying if you throw
> > it at someone." -- Final Cut Pro easter egg
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > cc-devel mailing list
> > cc-devel AT lists.ibiblio.org
> > http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/cc-devel
>
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--
Jon Phillips

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USA PH 510.499.0894
jon AT rejon.org
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Please note: the contents of this email are not intended to be
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this email address.





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