[alicebot-archcomm] Direct server vs. Indirect server processing <service>

[Gary Robertson]

Ernest,

I don't think that we have to define and implement several interfaces (like 
XML vs. SOAP vs. WSDL vs. WDDX)  for <services> because I believe that the 
most frequent use of this functionality will be through an intermediary 
server.  The intermediary server can implement whatever services it needs 
to gather the requested data.  It might use ugly HTML data scraping or more 
sophisticated methods like soap.  In any event as long as we propose a near 
universally way to manage the data exchange between the AIML and the 
intermediary server(s), then I think our job is done.  Your proposal with 
your XML example is just dandy.

I do believe the method must handle sending and receiving multiple 
attribute-variables (parameters) in one request.

I do believe we must have some way to recognize a failure of connection, 
and failure of data receipt (some data didn't make it).

I do believe we must have a way to pass values to and from AIML variables 
to parameters sent and received.

-gr