See below...

Regards

Steve Hanson
Architect, Data Format Description Language (DFDL)
Co-Chair, OGF DFDL Working Group
IBM SWG, Hursley, UK
smh@uk.ibm.com
tel:+44-1962-815848
----- Forwarded by Steve Hanson/UK/IBM on 19/11/2012 14:23 -----

From:        Steve Hanson/UK/IBM
To:        Mark Frost/UK/IBM,
Cc:        Shane Cartledge/Toronto/IBM@IBMCA, Anita Leung/Toronto/IBM@IBMCA
Date:        16/11/2012 11:46
Subject:        Re: setVariable with no value set - supported?

---

The specific example that Shane gives is invalid anyway as you can't set the value of one of the pre-defined DFDL variables. Assuming a realistic example like:

<dfdl:setVariable ref="myVar"/>

I'm wondering how you would set empty string for an element of type xs:string or xs:hexBinary.

<dfdl:setVariable ref="myVar" value=""/>

But why isn't that the same as

<dfdl:setVariable ref="myVar"></dfdl:setVariable>

which in XML rules is equivalent to:

<dfdl:setVariable ref="myVar"/>

I will raise with the DFDL WG.

Thanks

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



From:        Mark Frost/UK/IBM
To:        Shane Cartledge/Toronto/IBM@IBMCA, Steve Hanson/UK/IBM@IBMGB,
Cc:        Anita Leung/Toronto/IBM@IBMCA
Date:        16/11/2012 11:19
Subject:        Re: setVariable with no value set - supported?

---

Hi Shane,

While the spec isn't super-specific, I'd interpret it to mean "you must give exactly one of the value attribute or element value"

Spec Section 7.9 :
        "The syntax supports both a dfdl:value attribute and the 'value' being specified by the element value. Only one or the other may be present. (Schema definition error otherwise.)"

Steve:
        do you think altering the spec wording above to something like "Exactly one of the dfdl:value or the element value must be present.  (Schema definition error otherwise.)"


Regards,
Mark Frost
_____________________________________
MP 211, IBM Hursley, Winchester, SO21 2JN
Phone: (01962) 817009 or x247009
Email: frostmar@uk.ibm.com




From:        Shane Cartledge/Toronto/IBM@IBMCA
To:        Mark Frost/UK/IBM@IBMGB,
Cc:        Anita Leung/Toronto/IBM@IBMCA
Date:        15/11/2012 22:56
Subject:        setVariable with no value set - supported?

---

Hi Mark,

Do you know if DFDL should supports a setVariable with no value set? Thought this may have already come up with your runtime testing.

For example:

<dfdl:setVariable ref="dfdl:binaryFloatRep"/>

The DFDL specification is not clear on this point, and the DFDL validator does not flag it as an error.

Thanks.

Shane Cartledge
Business Integration Tooling
Phone: 1-905-413-5171, Tie Line: 313-5171


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