> The DFDL 1.0 spec implies the behaviour where you get…

If this is the direction the WG goes, can you please make this explicit rather than implicit? Using Mike’s excellent example below would go a long way to making the issue clear.

As for a solution, would it not be better to use an escape scheme, like this?

(Cred to Taylor)

If so, it would be helpful to include that in the example.

From: dfdl-wg-bounces@ogf.org [mailto:dfdl-wg-bounces@ogf.org] On Behalf Of Steve Hanson
Sent: Wednesday, June 19, 2013 5:29 AM
To: Mike Beckerle
Cc: dfdl-wg@ogf.org
Subject: Re: [DFDL-WG] clarification on when escape characters are needed

The DFDL 1.0 spec implies the behaviour where you get:

<a>password</a>
f82+

followed by a processing error. There is no special casing of the last element in the group.

Changing the model to the following achieves the desired infoset:

<sequence dfdl:separator="=" dfdl:separatorPosition="infix">
<element name="a" type="xs:string"/>
<sequence dfdl:separator="">
<element name="b" type="xs:string"/>
</sequence>
</sequence>

Regards

Steve Hanson
Architect, IBM Data Format Description Language (DFDL)
Co-Chair, OGF DFDL Working Group
IBM SWG, Hursley, UK
smh@uk.ibm.com
tel:+44-1962-815848

From: Tim Kimber/UK/IBM@IBMGB
To: dfdl-wg@ogf.org,
Date: 19/06/2013 09:37
Subject: Re: [DFDL-WG] clarification on when escape characters are needed
Sent by: dfdl-wg-bounces@ogf.org

In the IBM implementation we have taken the view that the separator defines the format for all of the group's content. That means that all separators are counted as being significant, even if they occur within the content region of the final group member.
I agree that other interpretations are possible - the MRM parser in earlier versions of WebSphere Message Broker takes an infix separator out of scope when it encounters the final declared child of a group.

I intend to address this point when I write up the rules for matching string literals and delimiters.

regards,

Tim Kimber, DFDL Team,
Hursley, UK
Internet: kimbert@uk.ibm.com
Tel. 01962-816742
Internal tel. 37246742

From: Mike Beckerle <mbeckerle.dfdl@gmail.com>
To: dfdl-wg@ogf.org,
Date: 19/06/2013 03:52
Subject: [DFDL-WG] clarification on when escape characters are needed
Sent by: dfdl-wg-bounces@ogf.org

Suppose I have a sequence. It has an infix separator which is "=".

<sequence dfdl:separator="=" dfdl:separatorPosition="infix">
<element name="a" type="xs:string"/>
<element name="b" type="xs:string"/>
</sequence>

Now, consider this data:

password=f82+=7&%q

I want

<a>password</a>
f82+=7&%q

Notice how the b element contains an '=' which was not escaped in any way in the sequence. Element b is statically known to be last, the separator is infix; hence, things are unambiguous even if there is no escaping.

However, there is an alternative interpretation, which is that the above data should fail, because it produces <a>password</a>f82+ but then does not find the expected stuff next. Rather it finds the '=7&%q' data. In other words, the sequence separator divides the sequence content into 3 content regions, but there aren't 3 things to consume those, so it is a processing error.

Which is correct?

--
Mike Beckerle | OGF DFDL Workgroup Co-Chair | Tresys Technology | www.tresys.com
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Registered office: PO Box 41, North Harbour, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO6 3AU