A few points: 1. "x-" is commonly used in cases when an application for a mime type is pending, and when there is a reasonable expectation that it will be approved. The mime type is prefixed with "x-" until the requested mime type becomes official, after which the "x-" is dropped. 2. We will be registering MODS and MARCXML: - application/mods+xml - application/marcxml+xml 3. The reason one uses (or doesn't use) +xml is made very clear in one of the relevant RFCs (I don't have the number at the moment): the application consuming the content is supposed to recognize the mime type and process it accordingly, however, in the event that it does not recognize the mime type, the "+xml" signals at least that the content is xml, and so there is a possibility that it might do something useful with it, even though it cannot proccess it according to mime type - it may be able to parse the XML and present something readable to the user. Even better, consider the case where it is a protocol response, for example SRU, where we are registering application/sru+xml, there might be an accompanying stylesheet url, and the client can then format a complete sru response without knowing that it did so. The reason is NOT, as some have suggested, to distinguish "mods+xml" from "mods+xyz" where "xyz" is some alternative syntax. However, because of the confusion, we would register marcxml as marcxml+xml (even though it sounds funny) rather than marc+xml, because of all the confusion that the latter name would cause. --Ray ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jonathan Rochkind" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Thursday, February 12, 2009 5:21 PM Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] MIME Type for MARC, Mods, etc.? > Actually, re-reading some of the RFCs, I would clarify one thing. > > It seems like using unregistered "x-" MIME type is discouraged, and > instead you are encouraged to use what is (claimed to be) a very quick and > easy and painless process of registering "vnd." types. So I'd encourage > LC to investigate doing that for MARC, while waiting for someone to have > time to do an actual (more time consuming) application/marc+xml > registration. That would give us the beneift of an actual registration > (albeit under vnc.) instead of an unregistered x-. > > As far as text/xml, the general consensus on the internet seems to be that > it was a mistake, but it's there and no one cares enough to try to somehow > remove it, so it _is_ legal, but nobody really encourages using it. One > problem with text/html is that it's default char encoding is ascii, while > the default char encoding for XML is of course UTF-8. This can very easily > lead to confusion and encoding errors unless software is more careful than > we know most software has a tendency to be. :) Still, it's legal, but I > don't see any reason to encourage it's use for MARC. > application/xml, sure, but it would be _really_ useful, for the reasons > discussed in last week's thread, to have a specific type for marc xml (and > mods). If the folks at LC don't understand why, thinking that > application/xml is sufficient, i could try to write up a persuasive essay > again, or copy and paste from last week's thread. Or is there someone else > other than LC who could conceivably fill out an application for > application/marc+xml and application/mods_xml? > > Seriously, application/xml is not sufficient, although it is legal. > > Jonathan > > Alexander Johannesen wrote: >> On Thu, Feb 12, 2009 at 22:32, Jonathan Rochkind <[log in to unmask]> >> wrote: >> >>> Didn't we finish having this conversation last week? We talked about all >>> this stuff being brought up now last week. >>> >> >> We did indeed, and your summary is better than what my retort could >> have been; spot on. >> >> I guess it's hard to understand why text/xml is such a waste of MIME >> and time as long as we still got text/html as the original understood >> MIME for HTML pages, but luckily the internet has moved on and >> evolved. :) >> >> One question we haven't asked is if we really need a MIME type for >> MARCXML. :) >> >> >> Alex >> -- >> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> Project Wrangler, SOA, Information Alchemist, UX, RESTafarian, Topic >> Maps >> ------------------------------------------ >> http://shelter.nu/blog/ -------- >> >>