Channel in `RepoDataRecord` is a simple String

[wolfv]

Should we either create a Channel type that we can use in RepoDataRecord and store it or a smart pointer to a shared / cached channel? Or should we type it as an URL?

It would be nice to be able to call a .url() and .name() method on the channel to get the short or expanded versions.

[tarunps]

I think this issue needs to be updated, there is a Channel type but RepoDataRecord still uses a string.

[baszalmstra]

The type also recently changed to an Arc<str>. I guess we could also change this to an Arc<Channel>?

[tarunps]

That'd make sense.