fix: clarify pointers for channel.servers and operation.channel fields (#996)

smoya · web-flow · commit 5fb88a019159 · 2023-11-29T19:01:39.000+01:00
diff --git a/spec/asyncapi.md b/spec/asyncapi.md
@@ -634,7 +634,7 @@ Field Name | Type | Description
 <a name="channelObjectTitle"></a>title | `string` | A human-friendly title for the channel.
 <a name="channelObjectSummary"></a>summary | `string` | A short summary of the channel.
 <a name="channelObjectDescription"></a>description | `string` | An optional description of this channel. [CommonMark syntax](https://spec.commonmark.org/) can be used for rich text representation.
-<a name="channelObjectServers"></a>servers | [[Reference Object](#referenceObject)] | An array of `$ref` pointers to the definition of the servers in which this channel is available. If `servers` is absent or empty, this channel MUST be available on all the servers defined in the [Servers Object](#serversObject). Please note the `servers` property value MUST be an array of [Reference Objects](#referenceObject) and, therefore, MUST NOT contain an array of [Server Objects](#serverObject). However, it is RECOMMENDED that parsers (or other software) dereference this property for a better development experience.
+<a name="channelObjectServers"></a>servers | [[Reference Object](#referenceObject)] | An array of `$ref` pointers to the definition of the servers in which this channel is available. If the channel is located in the [root Channels Object](#channelsObject), it MUST point to a subset of server definitions located in the [root Servers Object](#serversObject), and MUST NOT point to a subset of server definitions located in the [Components Object](#componentsObject) or anywhere else. If the channel is located in the [Components Object](#componentsObject), it MAY point to a [Server Objects](#serverObject) in any location. If `servers` is absent or empty, this channel MUST be available on all the servers defined in the [Servers Object](#serversObject). Please note the `servers` property value MUST be an array of [Reference Objects](#referenceObject) and, therefore, MUST NOT contain an array of [Server Objects](#serverObject). However, it is RECOMMENDED that parsers (or other software) dereference this property for a better development experience.
 <a name="channelObjectParameters"></a>parameters | [Parameters Object](#parametersObject) | A map of the parameters included in the channel address. It MUST be present only when the address contains [Channel Address Expressions](#channelAddressExpressions).
 <a name="channelObjectTags"></a>tags | [Tags Object](#tagsObject) | A list of tags for logical grouping of channels.
 <a name="channelObjectExternalDocs"></a>externalDocs | [External Documentation Object](#externalDocumentationObject) \| [Reference Object](#referenceObject) | Additional external documentation for this channel.
@@ -830,7 +830,7 @@ Describes a specific operation.
 Field Name | Type | Description
 ---|:---:|---
 <a name="operationObjectAction"></a>action | `"send"` &#124; `"receive"` | **Required**. Use `send` when it's expected that the application will send a message to the given [`channel`](#operationObjectChannel), and `receive` when the application should expect receiving messages from the given [`channel`](#operationObjectChannel).
-<a name="operationObjectChannel"></a>channel | [Reference Object](#referenceObject) | **Required**. A `$ref` pointer to the definition of the channel in which this operation is performed. Please note the `channel` property value MUST be a [Reference Object](#referenceObject) and, therefore, MUST NOT contain a [Channel Object](#channelObject). However, it is RECOMMENDED that parsers (or other software) dereference this property for a better development experience.
+<a name="operationObjectChannel"></a>channel | [Reference Object](#referenceObject) | **Required**. A `$ref` pointer to the definition of the channel in which this operation is performed. If the operation is located in the [root Operations Object](#operationsObject), it MUST point to a channel definition located in the [root Channels Object](#channelsObject), and MUST NOT point to a channel definition located in the [Components Object](#componentsObject) or anywhere else. If the operation is located in the [Components Object](#componentsObject), it MAY point to a [Channel Object](#channelObject) in any location. Please note the `channel` property value MUST be a [Reference Object](#referenceObject) and, therefore, MUST NOT contain a [Channel Object](#channelObject). However, it is RECOMMENDED that parsers (or other software) dereference this property for a better development experience.
 <a name="operationObjectTitle"></a>title | `string` | A human-friendly title for the operation.
 <a name="operationObjectSummary"></a>summary | `string` | A short summary of what the operation is about.
 <a name="operationObjectDescription"></a>description | `string` | A verbose explanation of the operation. [CommonMark syntax](http://spec.commonmark.org/) can be used for rich text representation.
@@ -839,7 +839,7 @@ Field Name | Type | Description
 <a name="operationObjectExternalDocs"></a>externalDocs | [External Documentation Object](#externalDocumentationObject) \| [Reference Object](#referenceObject) | Additional external documentation for this operation.
 <a name="operationObjectBindings"></a>bindings | [Operation Bindings Object](#operationBindingsObject) \| [Reference Object](#referenceObject) | A map where the keys describe the name of the protocol and the values describe protocol-specific definitions for the operation.
 <a name="operationObjectTraits"></a>traits | [[Operation Trait Object](#operationTraitObject) &#124; [Reference Object](#referenceObject) ] | A list of traits to apply to the operation object. Traits MUST be merged using [traits merge mechanism](#traits-merge-mechanism). The resulting object MUST be a valid [Operation Object](#operationObject).
-<a name="operationObjectMessages"></a>messages | [[Reference Object](#referenceObject)] | A list of `$ref` pointers pointing to the supported [Message Objects](#messageObject) that can be processed by this operation. It MUST contain a subset of the messages defined in the [channel referenced in this operation](#operationObjectChannel). **Every message processed by this operation MUST be valid against one, and only one, of the [message objects](#messageObject) referenced in this list.** Please note the `messages` property value MUST be a list of [Reference Objects](#referenceObject) and, therefore, MUST NOT contain [Message Objects](#messageObject). However, it is RECOMMENDED that parsers (or other software) dereference this property for a better development experience.
+<a name="operationObjectMessages"></a>messages | [[Reference Object](#referenceObject)] | A list of `$ref` pointers pointing to the supported [Message Objects](#messageObject) that can be processed by this operation. It MUST contain a subset of the messages defined in the [channel referenced in this operation](#operationObjectChannel), and MUST NOT point to a subset of message definitions located in the [Messages Object](#componentsMessages) in the [Components Object](#componentsObject) or anywhere else. **Every message processed by this operation MUST be valid against one, and only one, of the [message objects](#messageObject) referenced in this list.** Please note the `messages` property value MUST be a list of [Reference Objects](#referenceObject) and, therefore, MUST NOT contain [Message Objects](#messageObject). However, it is RECOMMENDED that parsers (or other software) dereference this property for a better development experience.
 <a name="operationObjectReply"></a>reply | [Operation Reply Object](#operationReplyObject) &#124; [Reference Object](#referenceObject)  | The definition of the reply in a request-reply operation.
 
 This object MAY be extended with [Specification Extensions](#specificationExtensions).
@@ -977,8 +977,8 @@ Describes the reply part that MAY be applied to an Operation Object. If an opera
 Field Name | Type | Description
 ---|:---:|---
 <a name="operationReplyObjectAddress"></a>address | [Operation Reply Address Object](#operationReplyAddressObject) &#124; [Reference Object](#referenceObject) | Definition of the address that implementations MUST use for the reply.
-<a name="operationReplyObjectChannel"></a>channel | [Reference Object](#referenceObject) | A `$ref` pointer to the definition of the channel in which this operation is performed. When [address](#operationReplyAddressObject) is specified, the [`address` property](#channelObjectAddress) of the channel referenced by this property MUST be either `null` or not defined. Please note the `channel` property value MUST be a [Reference Object](#referenceObject) and, therefore, MUST NOT contain a [Channel Object](#channelObject). However, it is RECOMMENDED that parsers (or other software) dereference this property for a better development experience.
-<a name="operationReplyObjectMessages"></a>messages | [[Reference Object](#referenceObject)] | A list of `$ref` pointers pointing to the supported [Message Objects](#messageObject) that can be processed by this operation as reply. It MUST contain a subset of the messages defined in the [channel referenced in this operation reply](#operationObjectChannel). **Every message processed by this operation MUST be valid against one, and only one, of the [message objects](#messageObject) referenced in this list.** Please note the `messages` property value MUST be a list of [Reference Objects](#referenceObject) and, therefore, MUST NOT contain [Message Objects](#messageObject). However, it is RECOMMENDED that parsers (or other software) dereference this property for a better development experience.
+<a name="operationReplyObjectChannel"></a>channel | [Reference Object](#referenceObject) | A `$ref` pointer to the definition of the channel in which this operation is performed. When [address](#operationReplyAddressObject) is specified, the [`address` property](#channelObjectAddress) of the channel referenced by this property MUST be either `null` or not defined. If the operation reply is located inside a [root Operation Object](#operationObject), it MUST point to a channel definition located in the [root Channels Object](#channelsObject), and MUST NOT point to a channel definition located in the [Components Object](#componentsObject) or anywhere else. If the operation reply is located inside an [Operation Object] in the [Components Object](#componentsObject) or in the [Replies Object](#componentsReplies) in the [Components Object](#componentsObject), it MAY point to a [Channel Object](#channelObject) in any location. Please note the `channel` property value MUST be a [Reference Object](#referenceObject) and, therefore, MUST NOT contain a [Channel Object](#channelObject). However, it is RECOMMENDED that parsers (or other software) dereference this property for a better development experience.
+<a name="operationReplyObjectMessages"></a>messages | [[Reference Object](#referenceObject)] | A list of `$ref` pointers pointing to the supported [Message Objects](#messageObject) that can be processed by this operation as reply. It MUST contain a subset of the messages defined in the [channel referenced in this operation reply](#operationObjectChannel), and MUST NOT point to a subset of message definitions located in the [Components Object](#componentsObject) or anywhere else. **Every message processed by this operation MUST be valid against one, and only one, of the [message objects](#messageObject) referenced in this list.** Please note the `messages` property value MUST be a list of [Reference Objects](#referenceObject) and, therefore, MUST NOT contain [Message Objects](#messageObject). However, it is RECOMMENDED that parsers (or other software) dereference this property for a better development experience.
 
 This object MAY be extended with [Specification Extensions](#specificationExtensions).
 
