Article:		Show Me the Code
Subject:		Accessing multiple ressources using GET
Date:		2007-01-19 12:13:48
From:		aronr
Response to: Accessing multiple ressources using GET
The above should have read: "sensors or sensor readings" rather than just "sensors'.

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• Accessing multiple ressources using GET
  2007-01-19 16:47:43 aronr [Reply]
  
  One more followup (sign): According to Roy T. Fielding, it *can* be useful to have meaningful resource hierarchies, so the suggestion to not use specific codes for sensors in URIs is not meant to generally discourage that practice. According to his quote, cited on the RestWiki:

  
  "REST does not require that a URI be opaque. The only place where the word opaque occurs in my dissertation is where I complain about the opaqueness of cookies. In fact, RESTful applications are, at all times, encouraged to use human-meaningful, hierarchical identifiers in order to maximize the serendipitous use of the information beyond what is anticipated by the original application."

  
  http://rest.blueoxen.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?RestAndUriOpacity#nid1SK

  
  Specifically regarding providing sensor data, there is a RESTful service for earthquake engineering data whose API is published at:

  
  http://it.nees.org/library/data/neescentral-web-services-api.php

  
  Perhaps that might provide some guidance or at least inspiration for coming up with a URI hierarchy and conventions in your own application ...