[okfn-labs] Data Encoding - Simple Data Format

Mon May 6 13:58:28 UTC 2013

All,

In developing the R Client for JSON Table Schemas (https://github.com/QBRC/RODProt) we had made some assumptions about the data encoding that are turning out to be non-standard. The most significant of which is our use of JSON instead of CSV to encode the data.

Of course, we can enable the R client to digest both JSON and CSV data. But in thinking about how we might want to get CSV support into RODProt, I'm realizing that it may make sense, from the client perspective, to be encoding-agnostic. I think the client code can be modularized such that we can design a "Data Reader" interface and provide default readers for CSV and JSON, but it seems to be that JSON Table Schemas (/datapackages) would be just as apt at structuring data encoded in tab-delimited, XLS, etc. I don't see any reason why we'd limit RODProt to just one encoding, in that case.

I'm having a hard time envisioning where that fits within the "Open Knowledge Labs" ecosystem, however. Is that a separate spec that uses JTS? An extension to Simple Data Format? Something to be integrated into SDF? If a separate spec, is that something that you'd want to brand as part of Open Knowledge Labs, or would you rather someone else take ownership?

I'm just not sure how to proceed on that or where to document the formats that we'll support in RODProt moving forward and thought you might have some ideas.

Best,

Jeff Allen
Computational Biologist II
Quantitative Biomedical Research Center
UT Southwestern Medical Center
214.648.4171 - NC8.512A
Jeffrey.Allen at UTSouthwestern.edu<mailto:Jeffrey.Allen at UTSouthwestern.edu>

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