[OSGeo-Standards] GML inside OWSContext [was: How to extend OWS Context for several specific cases]

[Lorenzo Becchi]

> My understanding is that OWS Context was originally designed to 
> describe a map, providing an Area of Interest and a list of map layers 
> + styles, where the map layers are links to external map services 
> (WMS, WFS, external GML files).
> Now a layer can also have embedded GML too.


I don't know what's Jody's opinion about GML embedded into the Context 
file but I'm personally against. Why should OGC allow to store just a 
type of content inside the Context file when others content types, like 
raster layers, can't naturally be included?
I know this comment arrives definitive late but maybe it's not too late.

> Assuming the embedded GML is small, the Context document is small, and 
> is suitable to be stored as XML (as it is).
> Adding additional layer services (like Tiled WMS, Google Maps etc) 
> would work well within this model.
> This is what Jody is referring to as "lite" above.
>
> For storing large datasets, ("OWS Context heavy") I don't think XML is 
> a good format as it is too verbose. This might be a good time to look 
> into Binary XML again. (Cubewerx has already done some work for the 
> OGC here).

IMO, if we exclude embeded GML, "OWS Context heavy" will always remain 
slim enough even if you use plain XML.

ciao
Lorenzo