OASIS Open Document Format for Office Applications (OpenDocument) TC

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Re: [office-comment] Further comment on ODF_1.0_Errata_draft_3

  • 1.  Re: [office-comment] Further comment on ODF_1.0_Errata_draft_3

    Posted 09-16-2008 18:07
    Patrick,
    
    It seems to me that the source of ambiguity and possible implementer
    confusion is removed by deleting the parenthetical observation if it is
    clear that the syntactically-allowed and the semantically-allowed values are
    coextensive.  (I, for one, have my doubts about negative "physical lengths"
    especially when "magnitude" is used in the explanation.).  Maybe it is
    better to remove the parenthetical remark and add the statement "Note that
    negative lengths are allowed.  Compare with nonNegativeLength and
    positiveLength." although I would love to know how negative lengths are
    treated (and I am not going to go looking at this point, trusting that the
    definition of attributes having this kind of value are sufficiently
    precise).
    
    I agree that the schemata given for lengths in the ODF schema are definitive
    with regard to the syntax (but notice that the non-zero constraint for
    positiveLength is expressed in a comment, not in the pattern.
    
     - Dennis
    
    


  • 2.  Re: [office] Re: [office-comment] Further comment on ODF_1.0_Errata_draft_3

    Posted 09-16-2008 18:33
    Dennis,
    
    Dennis E. Hamilton wrote:
    > Patrick,
    >
    > It seems to me that the source of ambiguity and possible implementer
    > confusion is removed by deleting the parenthetical observation if it is
    > clear that the syntactically-allowed and the semantically-allowed values are
    > coextensive.  (I, for one, have my doubts about negative "physical lengths"
    > especially when "magnitude" is used in the explanation.).  Maybe it is
    > better to remove the parenthetical remark and add the statement "Note that
    > negative lengths are allowed.  Compare with nonNegativeLength and
    > positiveLength." although I would love to know how negative lengths are
    > treated (and I am not going to go looking at this point, trusting that the
    > definition of attributes having this kind of value are sufficiently
    > precise).
    >
    > I agree that the schemata given for lengths in the ODF schema are definitive
    > with regard to the syntax (but notice that the non-zero constraint for
    > positiveLength is expressed in a comment, not in the pattern.
    >
    >   
    Well, but in addition to the reference to XSL 1.0, 5.9.11, the
    definition of length in the schema rather clearly allows zero as a value.
    
    Whether that is a good idea in all cases or not I can't say.
    
    Even though I don't consider it to be a "defect," I would in a future
    version re-cast the definitions as "like" strikes me as a very vague
    term to use in a standard. Either define it or leave it alone.
    
    Hope you are having a great day!
    
    Patrick
    
    >  - Dennis
    >
    >