[Opensim-dev] what to use for serializing structures? LLSD? XmlSerializer? JSON?

[Dr Scofield]

Stefan Andersson wrote:
> Ok, next time, I'll half the dose of that cough syrup.
>  
> Aaanyway : I still think it's a REALLY bad idea to put forward as a 
> 'standard region API' something that is more 
> application-and-environment specific (JSON) when there is something 
> that is less application-and-environment specific (XML)
oops...this is not a standard region API, this is supposed to be a 
control API to allow us to control region specific information of an 
OpenSim instance.
>
> Is there a concrete win with Json over Xml that I'm missing?
i'd say, easy to parse from AJAX side, less verbose, doesn't require 
knowledge of the class definition to make sense of it (well, at least to 
some extent).
>
> Everything else aside, I'm for us standardizing on _one_ text protocol 
> and _one_ binary protocol (if needed); otherwise we're sinking deeper 
> into our own little version 
> of UDP-XmlRpc-CAPS-LLSD-Whatevercomesnextmonth mayhem.
hmmm...LLSD will probably stay with us as long as we value compatibility 
with the SL client. UDP is not really a serialization format, XmlRpc is 
really XML. CAPS is not a serialization format either.
>  
> And, it would be great if the api was formulated as a set of abstract 
> classes, interfaces and event hooks, so however you decide to 
> implement the protocol layer, somebody else could implement it 
> differently. (SOAP, anybody?)
hmm...not sure whether i really want to add lots and lots of code around 
a simple control API.

we've got a specific need in mind: control an OpenSim instance via REST 
instead of via console. REST appears to be resource/state centric, 
XmlRpc/SOAP/et al seems to be more object--method oriented.

    cheers,
    dr scofield

-- 
dr dirk husemann, mathmatics and computer science, ibm zurich research lab
SL: dr scofield ---- drscofield at xyzzyxyzzy.net ---- http://xyzzyxyzzy.net/
RL: hud at zurich.ibm.com - +41 44 724 8573 - http://www.zurich.ibm.com/~hud/