IVOATheorySimDBTAP < IVOA

([[IVOA.IVOATheorySimDB][back to main]])<br/>
By design, !SimDB "is a" TAP service. 
It _is a_ TAP service in that it presumes that metadata is stored in a relational database and ADQL queries can be sent to it to query about its contents. It _specialises_ TAP in that it defines what the data models is according to which the database is designed. I.e. all tables/columns etc are fully specified and all !SimDB implementations must folow that data model.

We use TAP in full generality rather than a predefined parameterised query language because it offers greatest flexibility. Targeted clients can always wrap the ADQL interface with parametrised forms if they so desire.

In a later stages/versions we may consider allowing other query langugages, for example XQuery. In version 1.0 we want to apply the existing IVOA query language.

The !SimDB/TAP_SCHEMA is derived form the !SimDB data model described [[][elsewhere]]. It is derived following a prescribed set of object-relational mapping rules. 

---+ TODO
Following issues must be discussed, sometimes together with DM WG and Theory IG

   * TAP representation of the data model
      * how to formally specify the data model in a spec?
        Suggestion: filed-in VOTable containing complete TAP_SCHEMA.
      * how to specify inheritance in TAP model? Views?
   * !SimDB as specialisation of TAP
      * only sync+ADQL MUST be supported
      * Data model






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([[IVOA.IVOATheorySimDB][back to main]])
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This topic: IVOA > IvoaTheory > IVOATheorySimDBTAP
Topic revision: r3 - 2009-05-19 - GerardLemson