[ubl-ndrsc] Minutes for 6 March 2002 UBL NDR meeting

[Matthew Gertner <matthew.gertner@schemantix.com>]

The meeting was unchaired but we went forward anyway.

1. Roll call                            
    Bill Burcham		YES
    Mavis Cournane	YES
    Mark Crawford
    Fabrice Desré
    John Dumay
    Matt Gertner		YES
    Arofan Gregory	YES
    Phil Griffin  	
    Eduardo Gutentag 	YES
    Eve Maler        
    Dale McKay       
    Joe Moeller      
    Sue Probert      
    Ron Schuldt       
    Lisa Seaburg      
    Gunther Stuhec    	YES
    Paul Thorpe       

    Quorum not reached as of x:15.  We proceeded informally.

1'. Next week's call
     No real chair. Needs to be discussed on the list.

2. Acceptance of minutes of previous meetings

    Deferred.

3. Adoption of agenda

    Short discussion of Bill's paper
    Elements vs. attributes

    Adopted informally. Other items deferred.

4. Action item review

    Deferred.

5. Tag names

Short discussion of Bill's paper. Arguments made both for and against
binding tag names in various ways to type names. Action to everyone to read
latest version of Bill's paper (will be posted to list) as input for final
decision.

6. Elements vs. attributes

Gunther has a new position paper. He argues that attributes could be used
more than previously discussed. An example in currency code: making it an
attribute eliminates the need for additional child elements, is more
readable and is more efficient. Also proposed for:

* ID/IDREF
* xml:lang (Arofan points out that there are difficulties enumerating this
in practical cases, Gunther says that another attribute could be used for
this purpose)

Gunther says he still has to outline treatment of empty elements. Arofan
says that a lot of elements will be empty in this case, since all data will
be in attributes (which Eduardo doesn't like), but Gunther says this is not
so: the value itself will be in the element content.

Arofan points out one possible problem, which is when there is structure in
the value (e.g. exchange rate info). This might be solved by using mixed
content, which no one likes. Eduardo says that this can be solved using new
attributes or sibling elements. 

In general, consensus that elements be used for data and attributes for
metadata, as per Gunther's paper. One caveat from Arofan (no example given)
is if metadata needs to have structure, in which case it has to use
elements.

7. Adjourn
    Adjourned y:00.