I disagree with the direction this conversation is taking. I don't think we need another property - the dfdl:lengthKind property provides all of the control which users require. Let's examine how the parser might behave for *all* of the lengthKind enumerations: explicit The parser extracts a fixed number of characters/bytes from the input document as directed by dfdl:length ( which may be a DFDL expression, and may resolve to the value of the previous sibling ) prefixed The parser extracts a fixed number of characters/bytes from the input document as directed by the prefix length. Note the similarity with the DFDL expression scenario above. implicit The parser extracts a fixed number of characters/bytes from the input document as directed by the implicit length of the element. delimited The parser extracts from the input document all characters between the current buffer position and the next unescaped item of in-scope terminating markup. pattern The parser extracts from the input document all characters which match the specified pattern endOfParent. The parser extracts from the input document all remaining characters/bytes allowed by the representation properties of its parent groups/elements. I think there is a consistency issue here. We either make the in-scope markup apply to *all* lengthKinds ( including prefixed lengths and cases where dfdl:length is an expression, which can amount to the same thing ), or we limit it to lengthKind="delimited'. Any in-between position needs a very good justification. regards, Tim Kimber, Common Transformation Team, Hursley, UK Internet: kimbert@uk.ibm.com Tel. 01962-816742 Internal tel. 246742 From: Mike Beckerle <mbeckerle.dfdl@gmail.com> To: Alan Powell/UK/IBM@IBMGB Cc: Stephanie Fetzer <sfetzer@us.ibm.com>, "dfdl-wg@ogf.org" <dfdl-wg@ogf.org>, Tim Kimber/UK/IBM@IBMGB Date: 24/11/2009 20:52 Subject: Re: [DFDL-WG] How to determine the length of an element which has text representation I like to use enums instead of booleans, so I suggest this property is dfdl:textScanningMode as an enum with current values "scanned" and "notScanned", but as an enum we have the ability to add some intelligent mixed mode in the future (like "scanExceptFixedLength" - if that proves useful) One thought: we might try to think up terminology that is more declarative, less parse centric. These properties about "scanning" would affect output direction also, instructing the unparser to not bother inserting escape characters if the logical element contains say, the parent delimiter. I currently proceed under the assumption that not scanning turns off the whole lexical analyzer, so escape sequences detected would also be considered to be raw string content. You would still convert code points to logical characters but characters would not be interpreted as delimiters, escapes, quotation marks.... There's lots of potential for schema definition errors here of course. E.g., lengthKind='delimited', but textScanningMode="notScanned" clearly does not work. ...mike On Tue, Nov 24, 2009 at 11:48 AM, Alan Powell <alan_powell@uk.ibm.com> wrote: Stephanie 4. Have a separated property to 'turn off scanning' for dfdl:representation='text' 5. Introduce a new lengthKind. 'fixedLengthDelimited' Alan Powell MP 211, IBM UK Labs, Hursley, Winchester, SO21 2JN, England Notes Id: Alan Powell/UK/IBM email: alan_powell@uk.ibm.com Tel: +44 (0)1962 815073 Fax: +44 (0)1962 816898 From: Stephanie Fetzer <sfetzer@us.ibm.com> To: DFDL <mbeckerle.dfdl@gmail.com> Cc: "dfdl-wg@ogf.org" <dfdl-wg@ogf.org>, Tim Kimber/UK/IBM@IBMGB, dfdl-wg-bounces@ogf.org Date: 19/11/2009 15:40 Subject: Re: [DFDL-WG] How to determine the length of an element which has text representation Yes - agreed. It makes sense that for parsing when delimiters are in scope that if we hit a non-delimited length that we 'turn off scanning'. If everyone is agreed on that then.. The decision to be made here is how we will handle elements with length requirements while parsing when delimiters in scope: 1. We can allow and use dfdl:length for components with lengthKind="delimited"...in a check that will occur after the element is initially parsed (via delimiter) 2. We can disallow the use of dfdl:length for components with lengthKind="delimited"...and require that any length constraints be placed on such components via an assert. An error or a warning will be generated if dfdl:length is defined explicitly on a component with lengthKind="delimited" 3. We can ignore the use of dfdl:length for components with lengthKind="delimited"...and require that any length constraints be placed on such components via an assert. Any other options? Which way are we leaning on this? Cheers, -Steph WebSphere Transformation Extender Industry Packs - Software Engineer From: DFDL <mbeckerle.dfdl@gmail.com> To: Tim Kimber <KIMBERT@uk.ibm.com> Cc: "dfdl-wg@ogf.org" <dfdl-wg@ogf.org> Date: 11/18/2009 08:54 PM Subject: Re: [DFDL-WG] How to determine the length of an element which has text representation Sent by: dfdl-wg-bounces@ogf.org I support tim's view here. There needs to be an idiomatic way to shut off scanning. Rep='binary' is much too obscure. Question: which other length kinds should switch off scanning? Prefix? Implicit? None of these? ...mikeb On Nov 18, 2009, at 12:05 PM, Tim Kimber <KIMBERT@uk.ibm.com> wrote: I'd like to record what was discussed and raise another point which Alan pointed out after meeting, Discussions in the meeting - dfdl:lengthKind applies only to the element on which it is specified. It has no effect whatever on the parsing of child elements/groups. - there may be some value in tolerating simple elements of type xs:string with dfdl:representation="binary". Might be useful for schemas where dfdl:representation="binary" throughout. - Currently, the position of the WG is that parsers should *always* scan to extract the text representation if there is any terminating markup in scope. Even if lengthKind='explicit'. - TK proposed the scheme outlined in his previous email, in which dfdl:lengthKind alone specifies how the parser should extract the text representation. If lengthKind="explicit", scanning is switched off and dfdl:length is used. If lengthKind="delimited" the text rep is extracted by scanning and length is ignored. - A refinement was discussed whereby dfdl:length would be checked after a scan has been performed if dfdl:lengthKind="delimited". This would make the modeling of some common formats simpler, and avoid the need for a dfdl:assert to enforce the length constraint. - MB raised the possibility that we could actually disallow dfdl:length if lengthKind='delimited'. This is the most conservative position, but general opinion was that it would be too restrictive. There still might be some value in disallowing dfdl:length for other lengthKinds. Discussions after the meeting - Alan pointed out that lengthKind="explicit" does not necessarily mean that the length of the field is fixed. dfdl:length might be specified as a DFDL expression. A common reason for doing that would be to obtain the element's length from an earlier integer field. As currently specified, if there was any markup in scope, the text rep would be extracted by scanning. Restatement of my position after today's meeting: I'm now even more convinced that dfdl:lengthKind="explicit" should switch off scanning. Here's why: a) The enumerations of lengthKind are explicit, implicit, prefixed, delimited, pattern, endOfParent. The presence of 'delimited' in that list means that in some users' minds, the other enumerations are going to be interpreted as *alternatives* to 'delimited'. b) If there's markup in scope, scanning cannot be switched off by any means. Not even by setting lengthKind='explicit' AND obtaining dfdl:length from a previous integer field. I think that's very counter-intuitive. regards, Tim Kimber, Common Transformation Team, Hursley, UK Internet: kimbert@uk.ibm.com Tel. 01962-816742 Internal tel. 246742 Unless stated otherwise above: IBM United Kingdom Limited - Registered in England and Wales with number 741598. Registered office: PO Box 41, North Harbour, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO6 3AU -- dfdl-wg mailing list dfdl-wg@ogf.org http://www.ogf.org/mailman/listinfo/dfdl-wg-- dfdl-wg mailing list dfdl-wg@ogf.org http://www.ogf.org/mailman/listinfo/dfdl-wg -- dfdl-wg mailing list dfdl-wg@ogf.org http://www.ogf.org/mailman/listinfo/dfdl-wg Unless stated otherwise above: IBM United Kingdom Limited - Registered in England and Wales with number 741598. Registered office: PO Box 41, North Harbour, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO6 3AU Unless stated otherwise above: IBM United Kingdom Limited - Registered in England and Wales with number 741598. Registered office: PO Box 41, North Harbour, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO6 3AU