Hint representation

[Yves Savourel <ysavourel@enlaso.com>]

Hi everyone,

We have all an action item from the last meeting: "All to think about representation for hints."
http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/xliff-inline/201111/msg00003.html

The hints can be:

1: a code can be deleted
2: a code can be replicated
3: a code can be moved out of its original order
(and possibly 4: a code can be moved outside its original parent span)


Here are two possible notations:

1) hint='value' where value is an integer with ORed flags

canBeDelete = 0x01
canBeReplicated = 0x02
canBeReordered = 0x04
(canBeReparented = 0x08)

hint='3' means the code can be both delete and replicated, but it cannot be re-ordered.
hint='0' means the code cannot be delete, replicated or moved or re-parented.
hint='15' means the code can have all operations done.


2) hint='value' where value is a string with symbolic characters acting as flag being set.

canBeDelete = 'd'
canBeReplicated = 'r'
canBeReordered = 'o'
(canBeReparented = 'p')

hint='dr' means the code can be both delete and replicated, but it cannot be re-ordered.
hint='' means the code cannot be delete, replicated or moved or re-parented.
hint='drop' means the code can have all operations done.


In both case it seems the default could be to allow all operations.

I'm not very warm on having an attribute for each hint because it could very quickly get us unnecessarily cluttered and large codes.

Looking forward to other ideas...
-yves