CoreAPI

The core API defines how applications, (which reside on places) interact wich each other and modify their attributes. See AskemosDVM for definition of the virtual machine. TODO: provide a WSDL description of the core API here.

The Reply Element

In the simple case of a read type request, the reply to be returned from an actors invocation is just the output to the requestor.

Things are more compilicated for write type requests.

A write type request returns an element reply from the XML namespace http://www.askemos.org/2000/CoreAPI#. The children of this element describe the effect of the process step, along the axis

TODO: link from here to detailed information about the list items.

Hierachical structured data values, the become element.
interconnection: subscription, naming and growth; (networks, sozietäres Prinzip)
rights, relations
entry points: secrets etc.
sugar; (relations [tables], forwarding, email (TrustedCode etc.)

TODO describe the API from the code. CAUTION small changes ahead.

Data Values

One mandatory child is the become element. It contains the new state of the place. In other words it's the new data value stored conveyed. for example: if the place stores constant data, this data is returned as content of replies given to read requests. Low level slot: mind-body and corresponding xml-parse'd representation body/parsed-xml.

remark The become element is usually the 1st, since it was historically the only positional return parameter. Futhermore an alternate name "continue" is supported, which stems from the Scheme inheritance of the project. However reading http://www-sop.inria.fr/oasis/caromel/TDO/ASP-DistributedCalculi.pdf page 4 (top) was convincing to find "become" the better name.)

Optionally any number of other elements can follow. These effect the other (all but the first) axis.

An element output can be used to specify more details about the output, i.e, narrow it or generate answers with a content type other than XML.

A good application design puts everything, which is efficient decribed by the hierarchial principle (english?) at that axis.

interconnection

TODO subscription (not yet implemented)

read

To resolve the name of a link originating from a place, call the accessor (which is passed as the first argument see ActionDocument) like this: (place name)

To resolve a public name see: public-context

To read data from another place see fetch.

write

The interconnection axis is used to convey information on societal relations.

Rights

protection and capabilities see AskemosProtection. grant rights to other users.

grant and revoke

entry points

The secret element is used to control credentials for user authorisation.

TODO document EntryPoint? to create new entry points.

Sugar

forward is equivalent to an unchanged data value and a message to send to the next step of the path as decribed by the destination slot of the message. The location in the resulting message extended by an element reflecting this next step.

TODO document let, letseq etc.