[DFDL-WG] dfdl:textOutputMinLength

[Steve Hanson]

Here's the description for this property from the spec, including a change 
for errata 2.100. I am concerned about the red sentence about length 
units.

textOutputMinLength
Non-negative Integer. 
Only used when dfdl:textPadKind is 'padChar' and dfdl:lengthKind is 
'delimited', 'prefixed', 'pattern' or 'endOfParent' or 'explicit' and 
dfdl:length is an expression, and type is not xs:string
Specifies the minimum representation length during unparsing for simple 
types that do not allow the xs:minlength facet to be specified. The units 
are specified by the dfdl:lengthUnits property. 
If dfdl:textOutputMinLength is zero or less than the length of the 
representation text then no padding occurs.
Annotation: dfdl:element, dfdl:simpleType

However, when parsing, dfdl:lengthUnits is only used for a 'specified 
length' so that's dfdl:lengthKind 'explicit', 'implicit' and 'prefixed'. 
When 'delimited', 'pattern' or 'endOfParent' dfdl:lengthUnits is not used. 
I think we should be saying:

"For dfdl:lengthKind 'delimited', 'pattern' and 'endOfParent' the length 
units are characters. For other dfdl:lengthKinds the length units are 
specified by the dfdl:lengthUnits property."

Same argument applies to XSD minLength facet for xs:strings.

Regards

Steve Hanson
Architect, Data Format Description Language (DFDL)
Co-Chair, OGF DFDL Working Group
IBM SWG, Hursley, UK
smh at uk.ibm.com
tel:+44-1962-815848
Unless stated otherwise above:
IBM United Kingdom Limited - Registered in England and Wales with number 
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Registered office: PO Box 41, North Harbour, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO6 3AU
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