RE: [bt-spec] BTP Issue 53 : will or may contradict ?

[Peter Furniss <peter.furniss@choreology.com>]

 

BTP Issue 53 : will or may contradict ?

Submitter: Mark Little, HP
Category: minor technical
Submitter's identification: #21
Description:
Page 45, Note on CANCELLED says that the "latter will cause a CONTRADICTION". Surely it’s “may”, since if this is the first participant to be sent CONFIRM, and I get back CANCEL, I may well be able to reverse my decision and send CANCEL to all other participants. Although the outcome is then contrary to what I may have originally wanted, all participants are consistent on the decision.

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Yes, assuming the CONFIRMs are sent out synchronously, waiting for the replies. That's not necessarily a good idea - if the first is slow to respond, the others have to hang on waiting to know the otucome. That might be ok in a closed environment, but would seem to be more iffy in the "more loosely coupled" environment we expect for BTP.

 

"may" makes the statement rather too weak - it really is a very special case that an wrong autonomous decision doesn't produce a contradiction.

 

Suggestion: just add "usually" in "latter will usually cause a CONTRADICTION"

 

Peter