[DFDL-WG] Agenda for OGF DFDL WG call 23 June 2010- 13:00 UK (8:00 ET)

Tue Jun 22 11:18:13 CDT 2010

1. Current Actions 

2 Nils and Defaults.
Review Steve's updates

3  DFDL property types and other issues.

Tim has proposed more specific types for some properties. In particular 
separating the different kinds of entities. 
- Modify the meaning and usage of the type 'DFDL String Literal' and 
modify the remainder of the specification accordingly
- Improve the description of DFDL entities to avoid confusion over the 
intended usage of raw byte values.
- Clarify the standard sentence about forward references in DFDL 
expressions - the current text implied that the restrictions only applied 
to the unparser.

1.1     DFDL Properties
Properties on DFDL annotations may be one or more of the following types

·       DFDL string literal
The property value is a string that describes a sequence of literal bytes 
and characters which appear in the data stream.
·       List of DFDL string literals 
The property value is a space-separated list of DFDL string literals. When 
parsing, if more than string literal in the list matches the data stream 
then the longest matching string literal must be used.
When unparsing, the first string literal in the list must be used.
·       DFDL expression 
The property value is an XPath 2.0 expression that calculates a value from 
other property values or from the DFDL infoset. DFDL expressions can be 
used to calculate property values, and to calculate logical values for 
simple elements.
·       DFDL regular expression 
The property value is a regular expression that can be used to calculate 
the length of an element.
·       Enum
The property value must be one of the allowed values listed in the 
property description.
·       QName
The property value is an XML Qualified Name as specified in ?Namespaces in 
XML ?
·       DFDL Simple Type
The property value is string that describes a logical value. The type of 
the logical value is one of the XML Schema simple types in the DFDL 
subset.
·       Non-negative integer
The property is a non-negative integer value
Integer
The property is an integer value.

     1.1.1.1         DFDL Entities in String Literals
     1.1.1.1    Character classes in DFDL String literals
     1.1.1.1    Raw byte values in DFDL String Literals

4. using textStringPadCharacter with charRef '%#r' on multi-byte encoding 

textStringPadCharacter
DFDL String literal

The padding character or byte value that is used when justifying or 
trimming text elements.

A pad character can be specified using DFDL entities.
A pad byte value must be specified using the %#r entity.

DFDL validation rules
- if a pad byte value is specified when lengthUnits='characters' then the 
encoding must be a fixed-width encoding.
- if a pad character is specified when lengthUnits='bytes' then the pad 
character must be a single-byte character.

If a pad byte value is specified when lengthUnits='characters' then 
padding and trimming must be applied using an array of N pad byte values, 
where N is the width of a character in the fixed-width encoding.

Annotation: dfdl:element, dfdl:simpleType

Would adding fillByte  to dfdl:padChar enumeration make it clearer. 
padChar is a pad character (%#r not allowed)
fillByte is a fill byte

5. nilIndicatorPath and nilIndicatorIndex properties 
These properties seem a bit of an anomaly. Tim has suggested they can be 
simplified.

Current Actions:
No
Action 
066
Investigate format for defining test cases
25/11:IBM to see if it is possible to publish its test case format.
04/12: no update
...
17/02: IBM is willing in principle to publish the test case format and 
some of the test cases. May need some time to build a 'compliance suite'
24/03: No progress
03/03: Discussions have been taking place on the subset of tests that will 
be provided.
10/03: work is progressing
17/03: work is progressing
31/03: work is progressing
14/04: And XML test case format has been defined and is being tested.
21/04. Schema for TDML defined. Need to define how this and the test cases 
will be made public
05/05: Work still progressing
12/05: Work still progressing
02/06: Work still progressing on technical and legal considerations
16/06: work continues
085
ALL: publicize Public comments phase to ensure a good review..
14/04: see minutes
21/04: Press release, OMG and other standards bodies.
05/05: Alan and Steve H have contacted other standards bodies. Will ask 
them to add comments on spec
15/05: still no public comments
02/06: No public comments
16/06: Public comments period has ended with no external comments. Alan 
had posted changes made in draft 041. Steve suggested send a note to the 
WG highlighting these changes.  Steve also suggested requesting an 
extension as other IBM groups may review. We discussed whether this was 
necessary as changes will need to be made during the implementation phase 
anyway. Alan to ask OGF what the process is for changes post public 
comment.
086
AP: Nils and Defaults during unparsing - update table
31/03: TK to documetn use cases for parsing
14/04: Investigate new property to control empty string behaviour.
21/04: After investigation a new property is not required. New rules 
developed and tables updated.
Need examples of complexTypes to confirm tables apply. 
Review Nils, defaulting spec section.
05/05: Discussed defaulting complex elements. Tables updated but need to 
add terminator.
SH; to confirm WMD behaviour when infoset item has no value on unparsing
Need to describe defaulting choices.
15/05: More discussion. Alan updating sections
26/05: Discussed draft updates. Stephanie to confirm asserts do not make 
an element required. 
Alan will update draft..  All: review rest of draft.
02/06: Alan updated description. Please review.
Discussed Stephanie's example using discriminators. Decided no changes 
needed.
16/05: went through Steves comments. Steve to update draft.
088
define semantics of choiceKind 'fixedLength' 
31/03: TK to provide definition of calculable length.
Investigate  PL/I varchars and Cobol occurs dependingon.
14/04Tim had distributed a document starting the definition of calculable 
length for the longest choice member.
Alan had done some investigation of COBOL occurs depending on and when 
used in the working section of a program then the maximum storage was 
reserved but when used in the linkage section the dependent number was 
uses. We need to understand how the WMB COBOL importer deals with ODO.
21/04: Need to define 'calculable length' and WMB importer ODO behaviour.
05/05: TK: Still need definition of calculable length.
SKK: WMB COBOL imported behaviour with ODO
15/05: Suman sent an expmle of an imported Cobol ODo which suggested that 
the maximum space was reserved. He will extend the example.
02/06: no progress
16/06: no porgress
092
AP: Confirm behaviour of defaulting with various occursCountKinds and 
separator policies.
16/06: no progress. Tim to dig out old writeup

Regards

Alan Powell

Development - MQSeries, Message Broker, ESB
IBM Software Group, Application and Integration Middleware Software
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