Request/inputs and response/outputs formats

[tlrobinson]

I'm not completely satisfied with the current spec. Here are the main decision points:

1. Should the request and response record(s) be wrapped in an object with inputs/outputs property? (currently yes)
   • Originally proposed to avoid the JSON array vulnerability, but I'm not sure if this is even an issue since we don't use cookies for authentication.
2. Should we always return an array of output records, even for a single output record? (currently yes)
   • So clients don't need to check for multiple types. However, it may be useful in the pipeline editor to know whether a block will output a single or multiple records. That would be specified in the block definition, and thus would be known by the client.
3. Should the input record (always singular?) be wrapped in an array? (currently yes?)
   • Presumably for consistency with outputs, but I really don't like this. Does it ever make sense to have an array of input records?

[matthewhudson]

Should we always return an array of output records, even for a single
output record? (currently yes)

*So clients don't need to check for multiple types. However, it may be

useful in the pipeline editor to know whether a block will output a single
or multiple records. That would be specified in the block definition, and
thus would be known by the client.*

I'm going to reverse my earlier position and agree with you. The "check for
multiple types" argument I tried to make previously is weak. I just can't
see developers handling the raw block endpoints all that often. I expect
more often that not they'll be using wrapper libraries like webpipe.js and
others to handle that "complexity" when consuming blocks.

Should the input record (always singular?) be wrapped in an array?

(currently yes?)

*Presumably for consistency with outputs, but I really don't like this.

Does it ever make sense to have an array of input records?*

I favored consistency argument, but that's also weak. No, it never makes
sense to have an array of input records.

V/R

Matthew Hudson
Website http://www.matthewghudson.com/ | Bloghttp://blog.matthewghudson.com/
| Facebook http://facebook.com/matthewghudson |
Google+https://plus.google.com/u/0/103902048207396109122/posts|
Twitter http://twitter.com/matthewgh