[sc34wg3] CTM - Semicolon as statement delimiter vs. List of Values

[Steve Pepper]

* Lars Heuer
|
| If
| <http://www.isotopicmaps.org/pipermail/sc34wg3/2008-
| January/003604.html>
| is an acceptable compromise,

I do not think it is an acceptable. I am sceptical to making the
semi-colon statement delimiters optional (although I'm open to
allowing it to be omitted before the topic-block-close
delimiter, as it is in CSS).

| we have to drop the proposed "list of values" feature, though.

I don't see why this should be necessary.

| The proposal as described here:
|   <http://www.itscj.ipsj.or.jp/sc34/open/0975.htm>
|   """
|   The WG agreed with the comment proposing to allow comma-
|   separated lists of values for statements of the same type
|   [...]
|   """
| 
| wouldn't work anyway, unless we use a semicolon (or any other
| delimiter that fits) as value separator.

Why wouldn't it work? Because of the conflict with scope? That
can be fixed.

If I remember correctly, the reason scope was changed from a
white-space separated list to a comma-separated list was because
otherwise it wasn't possible to know when the set of scoping
topics ended and the next statement began. With the semi-colon
as a statement separator this is no longer a problem and scope
can return to being a white-space separated list of topics. The
conflict with the comma used to separate lists of values then
goes away.

| I think, we have to decide at some point if we want the
| semicolon as statement delimiter (technically not necessary
| if the colon for occurrences is re-introduced) or as
| list-of-value-delimiter.
| 
| Which feature is more important?

Unless I am mistaken, we can have our cake and eat it, too: that
is, we can have semi-colons as statement delimiters and commas
as list-of-value delimiters, as proposed by the WG in Kyoto. All
we need to do is modify the scope syntax slightly. (Please
correct me if I am wrong. There may be something else I haven't
thought of. If so, let us have an open mind as to whether that
"something else" also could be adjusted.)

I find the proposed semi-colon/comma usage extremely intuitive.
It mirrors very closely how these delimiters are used in natural
language and will be understandable almost without explanation.
With this syntax, most typical CTM files will be largely
interpretable even by someone who has never even heard of Topic
Maps.

Surely that would be a major achievement?

Best regards,

Steve
 
--
Conference Chair, Topic Maps 2008
Oslo, April 2-4 2008
www.topicmaps.com