Subject: [Simple] xcap/geopriv alignment issue 5: permission data types

From: Jonathan Rosenberg <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 24 Nov 2003 01:32:53 -0500

Folks,

In the current xcap-auth spec, there is a big assumption that each 
permission (show-element, show-namespace, accept, accept-if, etc.) is 
basically a token datatype. If multiple statements apply, the overall 
permissions are the union across these tokens.

However, in the geopriv spec, they define some additional data types. 
Namely, they define boolean and integer. Combining operations are then 
also defined for these types (logical OR for booleans, MAX operator 
for integers).

As an example, lets say you have a permission called "accuracy":

<applies-to>
   <uri>sip:[email-masked]</uri>
</applies-to>

<accuracy>10</accuracy>

<applies-to>
   <domain>cisco.com</domain>
</applies-to>

<accuracy>5</accuracy>

This would have the effect of granting an accuracy of 5 to everyone in 
Cisco, excepting fluffy who would get 10.

The question, then, is whether or not to define/allow these data types 
and also define their combining rules. NOTE WELL - you would need to 
properly define your permissions such that, for an integer, a larger 
value is always more permissive. For booleans, TRUE would need to 
always be more permissive.

A related issue is whether or not to convert some of our current 
permissions from tokens to booleans. In particular, the accept, 
all-content and show-note permissions would become booleans. The 
benefit of that is that you can explicitly say no by setting a value 
to false:

<applies-to>
   <uri>sip:[email-masked]</uri>
</applies-to>

<accept>false</accept>

would explicitly reject any subscriptions from Henning.

So, the question is whether or not to (1) add support for integral and 
boolean data types, and (2) convert the all-content, show-note and 
accept permissions to booleans. I believe that, independent of geopriv 
alignment, these are both good ideas and we should do it.

Comments?

Thanks,
Jonathan R.
-- 
Jonathan D. Rosenberg, Ph.D.                600 Lanidex Plaza
Chief Technology Officer                    Parsippany, NJ 07054-2711
dynamicsoft
[email-masked]                     FAX:   (973) 952-5050
http://www.jdrosen.net                      PHONE: (973) 952-5000
http://www.dynamicsoft.com

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