The ZOOM Abstract API
4th February 2004
API Specification
The heart of ZOOM is the abstract API which it presents to the
Z39.50 services. This API is described by the core ZOOM document,
which has been through several versions.
The
current version
is
ZOOM 1.4;
or you may wish to read ahead to the work in progress on
ZOOM 1.5, though
this is liable to change without warning.
However, you may wish to refer back to older versions:
- ZOOM 1.0,
the first publicly released version of the ZOOM API.
- ZOOM 1.1,
which integrates changes arising from the Boston Spa ZIG.
- ZOOM 1.2,
which adds specifications for the Scan service.
- ZOOM 1.3,
which simplies error-handling and record representation.
- ZOOM 1.4,
which lists standard options and includes more flexible
methods for forging connections.
Commentary
Here we present a rationale for some of the decisions made in the
abstract API specification. This section will grow as we gain more
implementation experience.
- The motivation
for ZOOM's existence in the first place. This document was
Appendix A in versions of the API prior to
1.3,
due to a historical accident.
- Why the API doesn't discuss ``super-connection'' objects which
transparently fan out searches
to multiple servers and merge the results.
[Sebastian Hammer]