Specification: XML Sapiens (SAPI)

RED GRAPHIC SYSTEMS Note as of May 10 2008

Current version:

http://www.xmlsapiens.org/spec/ (in PDF-format)

Author:

Dmitry Sheiko, Red Graphic Systems

Reviewers:

Maxim Baryshnikov, Red Graphic Systems
Pavel Levkovich, Red Graphic Systems

Copyright© 2004 Red Graphic Systems

Abstract

This specification defines XML Sapiens (SAPI - Simple Application Programming Interface) version 1.1 - the language describing programming interfaces for CMS-powered websites.

XML Sapiens (hereinafter SAPI) is an SGML application conforming to International Standard ISO 8879 - Standard Generalized Markup Language [ISO8879].

The language complies with the XML specification (see Extensible Markup Language (XML). W3C Recommendation).

Document Status

Version 1.1

Public discussion on SAPI is available at Discussion.

Available Formats

SAPI 1.1 Specification is also available in the following formats:

Text file:
http://xmlsapiens.org/spec/sapi11.txt (121 Kb),

GZIP TAR-file containing HTML-documents:
http://xmlsapiens.org/spec/sapi11.tgz (153 Kb),

ZIP-file containing HTML-documents (ZIP, not EXE):
http://xmlsapiens.org/spec/sapi11.zip (153 Kb),

PDF-file:
http://xmlsapiens.org/spec/sapi11.pdf (1.5 Mb).

In the event there is a discrepancy between the printed version and the electronic version of SAPI specification, the electronic version shall prevail.

Available Languages

The English version of this specification is the only normative version. However, for translations of this document into Russian please see

ZIP-file containing HTML-documents (ZIP, not EXE):
http://xmlsapiens.org/spec/ru_sapi11.zip (153 Kb),

PDF-file:
http://xmlsapiens.org/spec/ru_sapi11.pdf (1.5 Mb).

Errata

The list of known errors in this specification is available at XML Sapiens 1.1 Errata

Please report errors in this document to editor@xmlsapiens.org.

Contents

1. Introduction

2. About SAPI Specification

2.1 Specification Structure

2.2 Document Conventions

2.2.1 Conventions

2.2.3 Notes and Examples

2.2.2 Elements and Attributes

2.3 Acknowledgements

2.4 Copyright Notice

3. SAPI Architecture

3.1 Introduction

3.1.1 What is SAPI?

3.1.2 What Is Site Functionality?

3.1.3 Brief History of the Language

3.1.4 How to Use SAPI?

3.2 SAPI Model of Data Presentation

3.3 Objects of SAPI Documents

3.4 DDC Call Parameters

3.5 DDC Stream Redirection

3.6 SAPI Expressions

3.7 Inclusions of SAPI Documents

3.8 SAPI-based CMS

3.8.1 Model of a Managed Site

3.8.3 SAPI Parser

3.8.4 Recommended CMS Environment Variables

3.8.5 Recommended CMS Applications

3.8.6 SAPI Namespace

3.8.2 Structure of a SAPI-based CMS

4. Document Structure

4.1 Introduction

4.2 SGML Constructs Used in SAPI

4.2.1 Elements

4.2.2 Attributes

4.2.3 Character References

4.2.4 Comments

4.3 How to Read the SAPI DTD

4.3.1 DTD Comments

4.3.2 Parameter Entity Definitions

4.3.3 Element Declarations

4.3.4 Attribute Declarations

4.4 Basic Data Types

5. Global Structure of a SAPI Document

5.1 Introduction to the SAPI Document Structure

5.2 SAPI Version Information

5.3 The SAPI Element

5.4 SAPI Document Namespace

5.4.1 Element SAPI:NAMESPACES

5.4.2 Element SAPI:NAMESPACE

5.4.3 Element SAPI:SITE

5.4.4 Element SAPI:SITE-LANG

5.4.5 Element SAPI:SITE-ITEM

5.4.6 Element SAPI:CONTAINER

6. Body of the SAPI Document

6.1 Code Owner Information

6.1.1 Element SAPI:AUTHOR

6.1.2 Element SAPI:NAME

6.1.3 Element SAPI:EMAIL

6.1.4 Element SAPI:URI

6.2 Comments

6.2.1 Element SAPI:COMMENTS

6.3 Data Containers

6.3.1 Query Container (Element SAPI:QC)

6.3.2 Static Data Container (Element SAPI:SDC)

6.3.3 Dynamic Data Container (SAPI:DDC)

6.4 Pointers

6.4.1 Data Pointer (Element SAPI:VALUE-OF)

6.4.2 Data Pointer (Attribute SAPI:%Attribib)

6.4.3 Container Pointer (Element SAPI:VALUE-OF)

6.5 Additional Operands

6.5.1 SQL Query Selection (Element SAPI:SQL)

7. XML Reference Information for SAPI

8. References

8.1 Normative References

8.2 Informative References

9. Index

9.1 Index of Elements

9.2 Index of Attributes

10. Conclusion

11. Appendixes