Use URLs for Naming

URL for Naming Things

This idea is called URL for Naming Things and is based on the common practice of associating the URL or web page with an idea, object, document or anything. URL is used as opposed to URI or URN on purpose.

It is already a common practice to use a URL instead of a non-URL to represent something. By making a conscious decision to use URLs leads to best practices such as having permanent and unique URLs. Using a URL that includes an XHTML document (or XML that is XSLTed) provides descriptive and important material regarding the subject as opposed to have to use the non-URL name to search for relevant information. From naming entities like businesses, people's identities and medical records to legal documents, URLs provide a simple metadata standard as well as giving access to vital data.

It is possible to use a URL for the tag or metadata name and have complete uniqueness in any system or database.
It takes internal naming or numbering systems and makes them universal (e.g. append an internally derived name/number like ISBNs to a URL).
By using fragment URLs it is possible to cite directly to a subobject or aspect of the object being named. Note the soon to be published Idea Factory Idea called Semantic URLS that uses fragment URLs to indicate the semantic nature of the part of the web document (like http://organization.org/personname#bizcard:contactinfo ).

Step one is to make sure you can control the URLs on your web site or web application.
Step two is to decide on the pattern or schema of the URLs used for names.
Step three is to decide on the format of the web page found at the URL, especially the id attributes and semantic "hooks."
Step four is documenting the above steps so that others can better use and integrate the URLs for names.