TAP-1.0 Erratum 5: VOTable usage in TAP

Author: DAL WG

Date last changed: 2017-09-28

Rationale

The wording in TAP-1.0 in §~2.9 and §2.9.1 about the use of VOTable is somewhat inconsistent about the format of VOTable error documents. It is clear that §2.9 is discussing both successful and error outputs, and in the case of an error no TABLE element will normally be present, only one or more INFO elements. However, while the intention is clear from the fourth example in §2.9.1, it is not clear from the wording.

Erratum Content

The wording of §2.9 and §2.9.1 of TAP-1.0 is inconsistent with the rules for VOTable error documents. §2.9 says

The VOTable must contain a RESOURCE element identified with the attribute type='results', containing a single TABLE element with the results of the query.

The RESOURCE element must contain, before the TABLE element, ...

This Erratum removes the inconsistency by changing:

• first sentence in the third paragraph of Sec.~2.9 from

The VOTable must contain a RESOURCE element identified with the attribute type="results", containing a single TABLE element with the results of the query.

The VOTable must contain a RESOURCE element identified with the attribute =type='results'=type='results'. In case of successful job execution, this must contain exactly one TABLE element with the results of the query. [In case of job failure, the TABLE element may be absent.]

• first paragraph of §2.9.1 from

The RESOURCE element must contain, before the TABLE element, an INFO element with attribute name="QUERY_STATUS". The value attribute must contain one of the following values:

The RESOURCE element must contain an INFO element with attribute name="QUERY_STATUS" indicating the success of the operation. For RESOURCE elements that contain a TABLE element, this INFO element must appear lexically before the TABLE. The following values are defined for this INFO element's value attribute:

Impact Assessment

Since the wording changes introduced by this Erratum are only meant to better describe the usage of an existing recommendation (the VOTable one) inside the TAP-1.0 protocol, no effects on TAP-1.0 services and consuming application is foreseen.

Note

This Erratum was previously part of the TAP1Err1 Note still available on volute. The content presented here started from §6 of that Note at svn revision 2800.