XML Confusion in OGC SensorML

[Sam-Bolling]

This public comment is respectfully submitted by the Web Service Technical Panel (WSTP) of the Defence Geospatial Information Working Group (DGIWG). This comment is specifically directed toward 23-000 OGC SENSORML ENCODING STANDARD. As XML is deprecated (as stated in the fourth bullet point, page x) is there any room for backward compatibility in this area? It is focused on the process framework of O&M (observation and measurement). On page 29 there is still a reference to a base feature class of GML (XML based). Is this correct? Page 31 uses ISO 19115 which I believe is XML based metadata. It utilises the models directly. Do they mean to use the attributes of the XML schema models? On page 36 there is this statement regarding features defined in XML: “Processes are features as defined in ISO 19109:2006 and modeled (sic) in GML 3.2”. On page 37, 8.2.2 the DescribedObject continues to be based upon GML from its base class. Section 8.2.2.5 on page 41 is highly specific to XML. This is also applying to the A.2.1 Core Abstract Process conformance test (page 106) and associated abstract tests. References here are to ISO 19115:2006 (metadata) and GML (ISO 19136). There are similar references to this on page 121 (section A.2.8), page 122 (section A.2.9) and others. Please clarify the intended relationship between this standard and XML and reference that clarified relationship consistently where it applies throughout the document.