[Rets-dev] On Reference Implementations

[Paul Stusiak]

The thread Google Base Housing vs. RETS has spanned many different 
topics, making a single response very difficult. Instead, I will attempt 
to reply to some individual comments. Please be aware that the context 
has been narrowed and that may result in the loss of the overarching 
context. The intent is not to pick on specific people who participated 
in the thread, but to correct what I see as some misconceptions.

fwanicka wrote:

Ok, I’ll agree that MISMO and ACORD sound even worse. I’m not sure I’d 
agree that XML, SOAP nor HTTP are more complicated, but that’s neither 
here nor there. RETS definitely needs more tools. Look at the question 
from Mr. Tabbert earlier today. He just wants a simple client to 
download data to a CSV and grab the photos. So far, it has been 
suggested that he use libRETS or ezRETS to create his own client, or use 
Conduit, which won’t do the photos. Does nobody else find this 
completely absurd? Is there not a 1.x reference client app to do what he 
wants?

I do not find this absurd. A reference implementation is not intended to 
be a definitive solution to "get" information. Wikipedia has a nice 
definition that agrees with my understanding

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reference_implementation

which, to summarize, says that it is an "example of a standard for use 
in helping others implement their own versions of the standard." The 
working example is not necessarily intended to be complete although it 
may be. RETS gets a finite amount of funding from NAR. It has to cover a 
lot of ground. Reference implementations are one part of the work that 
gets done around RETS.

It feels more like a business opportunity to me.

Having said that, it is one goal to improve the tool support for RETS2. 
We can certainly revisit work around existing RETS1 tools if the 
community says it is a priority.

Paul
Falcon Technologies Corp.