[NEW KEP] KEP #17: Kolab XML Format 3.0

Thomas Brüderli bruederli at kolabsys.com
Thu Mar 8 18:00:09 CET 2012


Christian Mollekopf wrote:
> On 2012-03-07 17:13, Christian Mollekopf wrote:
>> On 2012-03-06 9:48, Thomas Brüderli wrote:
>>> 2) The old format also stored the contact UID within the members
>>> list of
>>> a distribution list. This made it easier to connect a member to a
>>> contact object and to propagate changes from the contact record to
>>> the
>>> distributions list. Would it be possible to add an (optional) uid
>>> element to the member element?
>>>
>> This seems to be a shortcoming of the vcard spec. The only option I
>> see is adding a x-uid parameter to the property.
>> I'm going to update that too.
>>
>
> For the record:
> The idea in vcard would be that the member property can point to
> another vcard using a urn: uri instead of a simple mailto: uri, which is
> sufficient for email distribution lists.
> The problem is that a client needs to be pretty smart already to be
> able to do the actual matching of the urn to a contact, and the
> distribution-list is completely disfunctional if it can't.

Actually, a MEMBER:urn:uuid:03a0e51f-d1aa-4385-8a53-e29025acd8af is 
exactly what we'd nned to reference other contacts and it would make 
sense in the context of a Kolab address book. But I agree to your second 
argument that a distribution list becomes dysfunctional once such an URI 
cannot be resolved.
Furthermore it increases the effort of a simple mail distribution script 
to collect all the recipients of a list.
>
> By using mailto: uris, we're serving the primary purpose of this object
> (email distribution-lists), and make it easy for clients to implement
> support for it.
> By adding an x-uid parameter we introduce data duplication (you have
> the email address in the contact vcard and the mailto: uri), but allow
> clients to implement advanced functionality (by using x-uid), while
> keeping it simple for simple clients (using the mailto: uri). The
> additional mailto: uri is also useful in case the contact has several
> email addresses.
>
> Obviously the mailto: uri remains authoritative (and not one of the
> referenced contacts email addresses).

I guess that's the price we pay for keeping the lists functional. But 
still we should add the x-uid parameter.

Acutally, the same problem already exists with the current Kolab 2 
format. Have any specific requirements therefore been documented for 
clients? A client should ensure consistency when touching either a 
contact or a distribution list.

Regards,
Thomas




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