Ok Rick, we now have the 3.3 schema at
http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/v3/mods.xsd and we'll maintain the latest
3.x version at that URL, as suggested. (Have also put namespace information
at http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/v3).
--Ray


----- Original Message -----
From: "Rick Beaubien" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2009 11:51 AM
Subject: Re: [MODS] URL for the current version of mods


> Thanks very much for the clarifications, Ray.
>
> I personally would find it clearer, cleaner, safer and potentially more
> useful if MODS maintained any generic schema urls at the integral version
> level, and if such generic URLS resolved to the most recent, backwards
> compatible version of the MODS schema within an integral version series of
> MODS schemas. In other words, I think it would be better if the most
> recent version of the mods schema representing the
> "http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3" target namespace were available at
> "http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/v3/mods.xsd". (Offhand I have to
> wonder how mods users are employing the non integral version specific,
> generic mods URL, although I suppose it does provide a shorthand way of
> getting to the most recent schema in an informal context.)
>
> Such a practice would also align with the way the METS Board intends to
> manage the METS schema generic URL--or at least intended the last time we
> discussed the matter. However, with METS I think we made a very
> short-sighted mistake by not including a version 1 designation in either
> the target namespace URI (http://www.loc.gov/METS/) or the generic URL
> (http://www.loc.gov/standards/mets/mets.xsd) associated with version 1 of
> the schema. We are still in Version 1 of METS, but when and if we move to
> a version 2 series of the schema, we will clearly need to add a version
> designation to the target namespace URI for version 2
> (http://www.loc.gov/METS/v2) as well as create a generic, version 2 URL
> (http://www.loc.gov/standards/mets/v2/mets.xsd) that will always yield the
> current METS schema in the version 2 series.
>
> Rick Beaubien
>
> Ray Denenberg, Library of Congress wrote:
>> I'll try to address all the points made in this thread.
>>
>> - The most current version of MODS will always be maintainted at:
>> http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/mods.xsd
>> and in addition will be maintained at a version-specific URL. Since 3.3
>> is the most current version, the schemas at the two URLs
>> http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/mods.xsd, and
>> http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/v3/mods-3-3.xsd are identical (though
>> at different locations).
>>
>> - "Can users count on the more generic URL always pointing to the most
>> recent version of the MODS schema that is backwards compatible through
>> version 3.1?" No. Once we go to version 4.0, then the 4.0 schema will
>> be at http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/mods.xsd.
>> We could maintain the most recent 3.x version at
>> http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/v3/mods.xsd if that would be useful.
>> So let's say we have a version 3.4, then 3.5, and then 4.0. Then the
>> version 3.5 schema would remain permanenty at
>> http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/v3/mods.xsd . Note, we have no plans
>> to do this, but we could if there was a demand for it.
>>
>> - "(I believe that there is a break in compatibility between version
>> 3.0 and 3.1)." No, there was a break in compatibility from version 2 to
>> version 3.0, but not from version 3.0 to version 3.1.
>>
>> - "I am asking this because of its implications for how the
>> schemaLocation in mods instances should be set up." schemaLocation
>> should never be set to http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/mods.xsd. If
>> you create a MODS record with the intention that it conforms to version
>> 3.3 (but not necessarily to any higher version), then schemaLocation
>> should be http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/v3/mods-3-3.xsd
>>
>> - On the MODS namespace URI: when we go to version 4, the namespace URI
>> will change. It will remain the same for all future 3.x versions.
>>
>> I've tried to capture all the questions in the thread, let me know if I
>> missed any.
>>
>> --Ray
>>
>>
>>
>> From: "Rick Beaubien" <[log in to unmask]>
>>> The current version of MODS is available both through a version specific
>>> URL (http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/v3/mods-3-3.xsd) as well as a
>>> more generic URL (http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/mods.xsd). Can
>>> users count on the more generic URL always pointing to the most recent
>>> version of the MODS schema that is backwards compatible through version
>>> 3.1? (I believe that there is a break in compatibility between version
>>> 3.0 and 3.1). Or, to phrase the question a little differently, if a new
>>> version of the MODS schema was produced that was not backwards
>>> compatible with versions 3.1-3.3, would it replace the 3.3 schema that
>>> is now available via the generic URL
>>> http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/mods.xsd? I am asking this because of
>>> its implications for how the schemaLocation in mods instances should be
>>> set up.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Rick Beaubien
>>>
>>> --
>>> Rick Beaubien
>>> Software Engineer, Research and Development
>>> U.C. Berkeley Library
>>>
>>> Contact information:
>>> 505-466-6630
>>>
>>> 88 Herrada Rd
>>> Santa Fe, NM 87508
>
> --
> Rick Beaubien
> Software Engineer, Research and Development
> U.C. Berkeley Library
>
> Contact information:
> 505-466-6630
>
> 88 Herrada Rd
> Santa Fe, NM 87508