Dereferencing Complex Values Backlog

About

This page describes a proposed change to the IdAP API and the IContext SPI. This page was created to support a discussion.

Proposal

• We change the IdAS API and the IContext SPI to return IEntity implementations
• In other words, eliminate IComplexValue and replace it with IEntity

Examples...

 this:
   IComplexAttrValue IAttribute.addComplexValue(URI dataType)
 becomes:
   IEntity IAttribute.addComplexValue(IEntity)
 or maybe:
   IEntity IAttribute.addEntityValue(IEntity)

 IComplexAttrValue <-- goes away

Questions/Observations

• <jim>Would all of these 'complex attr values represented as IEntitys' have identifiers?
  • It seems like a good thing for cases where you want to share one across different identities. For example, my wife and I have the same postal address so it'd be nice to share the same complex attr val for that.
    • Hmm, people might see the utility in that and want something similar for simple attributes as well
• <jim> I hate to admit it, but if we make attributes act just like entities, it makes a good case for calling things something more generic like Node or Element.

See Also

• IdAS Backlog