[DFDL-WG] Action 259 - Consider allowing more flexible escapeBlock schemes

[Steve Hanson]

Action 259 was raised last call to decide what to do about the following, 
as minuted:

Steve has an example of an escape block where the escape block end is not 
at the end of the un-trimmed data. This gives a processing error. Another 
IBM product accepts this usage. Should DFDL allow this? Or should there be 
a new escapeKind that allows escapeBlockStart/End anywhere?

Tried importing these values from a CSV file into an Excel spreadsheet, a 
Symphony spreadsheet (ie, successor to 123), and also accessing them via 
ODBC using a Microsoft driver, to compare with IBM DFDL and IBM Cast Iron 
behaviour. 

Test
Data 
IBM DFDL
IBM Cast Iron
MS Excel
Lotus Symphony
ODBC







1
This is normal
This is normal
This is normal
This is normal
This is normal
This is normal 
2
"This is OK" 
This is OK
This is OK
This is OK
This is OK
This is OK
3
"This| is expected"
This| is expected
This| is expected
This| is expected
This| is expected
This| is expected
4
This too "is OK" 
This too "is OK" 
This too "is OK" 
This too "is OK" 
This too "is OK" 
This too 
5
Even "this" is OK 
Even "this" is OK
Even "this" is OK
Even "this" is OK
Even "this" is OK
Even
6
"This" is NOT OK 
PARSE FAILED
This is NOT OK 
This is NOT OK 
This is NOT OK 
This 
7
"This"" is still OK" 
This" is still OK
This" is still OK
This" is still OK
This" is still OK
This" is still OK

The data under discussion is 6. It looks like DFDL is out of step with the 
behaviour of Excel / Symphony spreadsheets, and Cast Iron has adopted that 
behaviour too.

Out of interest I also checked the output behaviour from Excel. That 
escaped all instances of embedded quotes in the same way as DFDL, so no 
issues there.

Regards
 
Steve Hanson
Architect, IBM DFDL
Co-Chair, OGF DFDL Working Group
IBM SWG, Hursley, UK
smh at uk.ibm.com
tel:+44-1962-815848
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IBM United Kingdom Limited - Registered in England and Wales with number 
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