[x3d-public] X3D JSON encoding: Purpose and Comments

[Behr, Johannes]

> On 23 Dec 2015, at 16:49, Leonard Daly <Leonard.Daly at realism.com> wrote:
> 
> I have been following the discussion on JSON for a while. I got behind on email reading, so I don't know if this was addressed after this email.
> 
> I think there is one question that need to be asked first:
> 
> What is the purpose of the JSON encoding?
> 
> JSON is used for a variety of purposes, including efficient data transfer, storage, and archive. Each of these purposes has its own requirements. For example for transfer you typically want a compact format that takes little time and memory to process on the receiving end. Small sizes are important for archive formats, but they also need to have longevity. Taking additional time to unpack is generally not a problem.
> 
> If a file is hand-created or edited; then comments are important. While auto-generated, intermediate, or data-base generated files typically do not have comments (or contain only minimal comments).
> 
> So, back to my question. If the JSON format is primarily for transfer, then it should be compact and without non-essential data. Since comments are not part of the X3D content model; they are non-essential data to the file and should not be included in it.
> 
> If the purpose is for archival or non-archival storage, then comments are important and need to be included (unless the JSON format is strictly an intermediate format).
> 
> I do not think it reasonable to state that all X3D encodings are storage (or all choices). That ignores the best features of any encoding and forces all encodings to support the worst features of each.

For me JSON is yet just another encoding like classic, XML, binary (X3DB) with different benefits, properties and domain preferences. 
X3DOM only supported XML as <Inline> reference. Direct support for classic and x3db was never added for technical reasons.
Adding a JSON decoder would be efficient and simple since the type-system of x3dom is DOM/XML independent.

Best regards
Johannes 

> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Leonard Daly
> 3D Systems & Cloud Consultant
> X3D Co-Chair on Sabbatical
> LA ACM SIGGRAPH Chair
> President, Daly Realism - Creating the Future
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