+1. We've been doing a very similar thing in OData (Astoria) for a while. We've used as custom element (<inline>) in a custom namespace inside <atom:link> for now because there wasn't anything standard. For example (trimmed down version, full version here: http://odata.netflix.com/catalog/Titles?$top=2&$expand=Cast&$filter=ReleaseYear eq 1980):
<entry m:etag="W/"datetime'2009-10-07T05%3A06%3A22'"">
<id>http://odata.netflix.com/catalog/Titles('13WZu')</id>
<title type="text">Metropolitan Opera: G. Puccini: Manon Lescaut</title>
<summary type="html">Conducted by James Levine, the Metropolitan Opera presents Puccini's "Manon Lescaut." In this opera, directed by Gian Carlo Menotti, the title character (<a href="" href="http://www.netflix.com/RoleDisplay/Renata_Scotto/83647" target="_blank">http://www.netflix.com/RoleDisplay/Renata_Scotto/83647">Renata Scotto</a>) escapes from a French convent and runs away with a poor student, the Chevalier des Grieux (a young <a href="" href="http://www.netflix.com/RoleDisplay/Pl_cido_Domingo/30005475" target="_blank">http://www.netflix.com/RoleDisplay/Pl_cido_Domingo/30005475">Placido Domingo</a>). Manon eventually leaves des Grieux for a wealthy elderly lover; however, her heart is torn when des Grieux catches up with her.</summary>
<published>2009-10-07T05:06:22Z</published>
<updated>2010-05-19T18:42:18Z</updated>
<author>
<name />
</author>
<link m:etag=""10/7/2009 5:06:22 AM"" rel="edit-media" title="Title" href="" />
<link rel="edit" title="Title" href="" />
<link rel="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ado/2007/08/dataservices/related/AudioFormats" type="application/atom+xml;type=feed" title="AudioFormats" href="" />
<link rel="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ado/2007/08/dataservices/related/Awards" type="application/atom+xml;type=feed" title="Awards" href="" />
<link rel="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ado/2007/08/dataservices/related/Disc" type="application/atom+xml;type=entry" title="Disc" href="" />
<link rel="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ado/2007/08/dataservices/related/Movie" type="application/atom+xml;type=entry" title="Movie" href="" />
<link rel="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ado/2007/08/dataservices/related/Season" type="application/atom+xml;type=entry" title="Season" href="" />
<link rel="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ado/2007/08/dataservices/related/Series" type="application/atom+xml;type=entry" title="Series" href="" />
<link rel="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ado/2007/08/dataservices/related/ScreenFormats" type="application/atom+xml;type=feed" title="ScreenFormats" href="" />
<link rel="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ado/2007/08/dataservices/related/Cast" type="application/atom+xml;type=feed" title="Cast" href=""> <m:inline>
<feed>
<title type="text">Cast</title>
<id>http://odata.netflix.com/catalog/Titles('13WZu')/Cast</id>
<updated>2010-05-19T18:42:18Z</updated>
<link rel="self" title="Cast" href="" />
<entry>
<id>http://odata.netflix.com/catalog/People(83647)</id>
<title type="text">Renata Scotto</title>
<updated>2010-05-19T18:42:18Z</updated>
<author>
<name />
</author>
<link rel="edit" title="Person" href="" />
<link rel="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ado/2007/08/dataservices/related/Awards" type="application/atom+xml;type=feed" title="Awards" href="" />
<link rel="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ado/2007/08/dataservices/related/TitlesActedIn" type="application/atom+xml;type=feed" title="TitlesActedIn" href="" />
<link rel="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ado/2007/08/dataservices/related/TitlesDirected" type="application/atom+xml;type=feed" title="TitlesDirected" href="" />
<category term="NetflixModel.Person" scheme="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ado/2007/08/dataservices/scheme" />
<content type="application/xml">
<m:properties>
<d:Id m:type="Edm.Int32">83647</d:Id>
<d:Name>Renata Scotto</d:Name>
</m:properties>
</content>
</entry>
<entry>
<id>http://odata.netflix.com/catalog/People(30005475)</id>
<title type="text">Plácido Domingo</title>
<updated>2010-05-19T18:42:18Z</updated>
<author>
<name />
</author>
<link rel="edit" title="Person" href="" />
<link rel="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ado/2007/08/dataservices/related/Awards" type="application/atom+xml;type=feed" title="Awards" href="" />
<link rel="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ado/2007/08/dataservices/related/TitlesActedIn" type="application/atom+xml;type=feed" title="TitlesActedIn" href="" />
<link rel="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ado/2007/08/dataservices/related/TitlesDirected" type="application/atom+xml;type=feed" title="TitlesDirected" href="" />
<category term="NetflixModel.Person" scheme="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ado/2007/08/dataservices/scheme" />
<content type="application/xml">
<m:properties>
<d:Id m:type="Edm.Int32">30005475</d:Id>
<d:Name>Plácido Domingo</d:Name>
</m:properties>
</content>
</entry>
</feed>
</m:inline>
</link>
<link rel="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ado/2007/08/dataservices/related/Languages" type="application/atom+xml;type=feed" title="Languages" href="" />
<link rel="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ado/2007/08/dataservices/related/Directors" type="application/atom+xml;type=feed" title="Directors" href="" />
<link rel="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ado/2007/08/dataservices/related/Genres" type="application/atom+xml;type=feed" title="Genres" href="" />
<category term="NetflixModel.Title" scheme="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ado/2007/08/dataservices/scheme" />
<content type="image/jpeg" src="" href="http://cdn-4.nflximg.com/us/boxshots/large/5616554.jpg" target="_blank">http://cdn-4.nflximg.com/us/boxshots/large/5616554.jpg" />
<m:properties xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ado/2007/08/dataservices/metadata" xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/ado/2007/08/dataservices">
<d:Id>13WZu</d:Id>
<d:Synopsis>Conducted by James Levine, the Metropolitan Opera presents Puccini's "Manon Lescaut." In this opera, directed by Gian Carlo Menotti, the title character (<a href="" href="http://www.netflix.com/RoleDisplay/Renata_Scotto/83647" target="_blank">http://www.netflix.com/RoleDisplay/Renata_Scotto/83647">Renata Scotto</a>) escapes from a French convent and runs away with a poor student, the Chevalier des Grieux (a young <a href="" href="http://www.netflix.com/RoleDisplay/Pl_cido_Domingo/30005475" target="_blank">http://www.netflix.com/RoleDisplay/Pl_cido_Domingo/30005475">Placido Domingo</a>). Manon eventually leaves des Grieux for a wealthy elderly lover; however, her heart is torn when des Grieux catches up with her.</d:Synopsis>
<d:Runtime m:type="Edm.Int32">8040</d:Runtime>
<d:AverageRating m:type="Edm.Double">3.3</d:AverageRating>
<d:ReleaseYear m:type="Edm.Int32">1980</d:ReleaseYear>
<d:Url>http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Metropolitan_Opera_G._Puccini_Manon_Lescaut/5616554</d:Url>
<d:Rating>NR</d:Rating>
<d:Type>Movie</d:Type>
<d:ShortName>Metropolitan Opera: Puccini</d:ShortName>
<d:Name>Metropolitan Opera: G. Puccini: Manon Lescaut</d:Name>
<d:TinyUrl>http://movi.es/13WZu</d:TinyUrl>
<d:WebsiteUrl m:null="true"></d:WebsiteUrl>
<d:NetflixApiId>http://api.netflix.com/catalog/titles/movies/5616554</d:NetflixApiId>
<d:BoxArt m:type="NetflixModel.BoxArt">
<d:SmallUrl>http://cdn-4.nflximg.com/us/boxshots/tiny/5616554.jpg</d:SmallUrl>
<d:MediumUrl>http://cdn-4.nflximg.com/us/boxshots/small/5616554.jpg</d:MediumUrl>
<d:LargeUrl>http://cdn-4.nflximg.com/us/boxshots/large/5616554.jpg</d:LargeUrl>
<d:HighDefinitionUrl m:null="true"></d:HighDefinitionUrl>
</d:BoxArt>
<d:Instant m:type="NetflixModel.InstantAvailability">
<d:Available m:type="Edm.Boolean">false</d:Available>
<d:AvailableFrom m:type="Edm.DateTime" m:null="true"></d:AvailableFrom>
<d:AvailableTo m:type="Edm.DateTime" m:null="true"></d:AvailableTo>
<d:HighDefinitionAvailable m:type="Edm.Boolean">false</d:HighDefinitionAvailable>
</d:Instant>
<d:Dvd m:type="NetflixModel.DeliveryFormatAvailability">
<d:Available m:type="Edm.Boolean">false</d:Available>
<d:AvailableFrom m:type="Edm.DateTime" m:null="true"></d:AvailableFrom>
<d:AvailableTo m:type="Edm.DateTime" m:null="true"></d:AvailableTo>
</d:Dvd>
<d:BluRay m:type="NetflixModel.DeliveryFormatAvailability">
<d:Available m:type="Edm.Boolean">false</d:Available>
<d:AvailableFrom m:type="Edm.DateTime" m:null="true"></d:AvailableFrom>
<d:AvailableTo m:type="Edm.DateTime" m:null="true"></d:AvailableTo>
</d:BluRay>
</m:properties>
</entry>
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-atom-syntax@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:owner-atom-syntax@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of James Snell
Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2010 12:50 PM
To: Nikunj Mehta
Cc: Colm Divilly; nrmehtais@xxxxxxxxx; Atom-Syntax
Subject: Re: Atom Inlining (Was Link Extensions. Need "md5" or some kind of hash.)
Non-Atom type support, I think, is definitely important. I also urge
you to consider defining the element so that it is a part of the Atom
namespace. Explosion and management of extension namespaces is going
to become a significant problem as time goes on, we need to establish
good practices for it now.
On Tue, May 18, 2010 at 12:46 PM, Nikunj Mehta <nikunj@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I can brush up the I-D and add the non-Atom type support, which was contemplated but waiting for more interest to be put in.
>
> Nikunj
> On May 18, 2010, at 5:23 AM, Colm Divilly wrote:
>
>> James Snell wrote:
>>> Another change that I am contemplating making is introducing a new
>>> child element for the atom:link element that would allow it to serve
>>> the same basic purpose as the GData feedLink and entryLink elements
>>> except with greater flexibility... specifically, it would allow a
>>> representation of the linked resource to be dropped directly into the
>>> link element, e.g.
>>>
>>> <link rel="alternate" href="" type="text/plain">
>>> <data type="text">this is a representation of the data</data>
>>> </link>
>>>
>>> <link rel="alternate" href="" type="image/jpeg">
>>> <data type="encoded">abc...def==</data> <!-- base64 -->
>>> </link>
>>>
>>> <link rel="alternate" href="" type="application/atom+xml">
>>> <data type="markup">
>>> <feed>...</feed>
>>> </data>
>>> </link>
>>>
>>> Or something along those lines.
>>>
>>> Thoughts?
>>>
>>>
>> +1, I think this is really important, Whenever I am designing resources, I am always finding myself having to make a choice about whether to inline related content in the resource or include a hyper link to the related content. Having a consistent pattern for doing this would be beneficial.
>>
>> As an aside, if this approach was possible, then one could re-imagine the atom:content element as simply <link rel="content">...</link>.
>>
>> Nikunj Mehta has an unpublished draft of Atom Inline Extensions that proposes the same as what you propose [1] (the last published draft restricted the inline content types to atom resources only [2]), Nikunj care to weigh in?
>>
>> There was some discussion about this a while back: [3]
>>
>> [1] http://atom-ext.googlecode.com/svn-history/r9/trunk/draft-mehta-atom-inline.xml
>> [2] http://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-mehta-atom-inline-01#section-2.1.1
>> [3] http://www.imc.org/atom-syntax/mail-archive/threads.html#21203
>>
>
>
--
- James Snell
http://www.snellspace.com
jasnell@xxxxxxxxx