Re: [cgmo-webcgm] Issue: linkuri (chap 3 & chap 5) different

[Lofton Henderson <lofton@rockynet.com>]

At 04:28 PM 4/26/2005 -0400, Benoit Bezaire wrote:
> Hi cgmo-webcgm,
>
>   The Airbus people made me realize that Chapter 3 and 5
> contradict
>   themselves regarding linkuri (or at least that a user can easily
> get
>   confused).

IMO, potential confusion is the problem, but I don't see an actual
contradiction.


>   Section 3.2.2.3 Linkuri says
> that there are optional parts.

It says:

"Parameters. The data record is a SDR of one member, containing three strings (type SF, String Fixed). The first string

is the link destination, a URI, the second string (possibly null) is a Link Title parameter, and the third string is (possibly

null) the Behavior parameter. Note that a null string is a zero-length string, and is not the same as an omitted

parameter."

I have always thought this to mean that all three parts must be
present, even if part 2 and/or part 3 are empty strings.  Do you
read it otherwise?


>   Section 5.5 says that there
> are no optional parts.

Okay, but can part 2 and/or part 3 be an empty string?  This would
allow, for example, a delimited string of:

"'http://www.example.org/blah.cgm'
 ''  ''"
or
"'http://www.example.org/blah.cgm'
 'Link to blah'  ''"
or 
"'http://www.example.org/blah.cgm'
 ''  '_replace'"

So all 3 parts are included, although some may consist of empty
string.  Does that seem like it creates a potential problem? 
(I don't see it.)  If not, then I think this can be consistent with
3.2.2.3, if we clarify it as such.

>   It seems like the
> distinction between a DOM encoding of a linkuri
>   and the actual binary encoding isn't strong enough. We also have
> the
>   table in section 5.7.6 that links back to 3.2.2.3 which may add
> to
>   the confusion.
>
>   Suggestions on how to clarify this?
>
>   We may want table 5.7.6 link to section 5.5 and then have
> section
>   5.5 link to 3.2.2.3 (i.e. force people to read section
> 5.5).

That would probably help.  We should clearly distinguish that the
delimited-string DOM encoding in section 5.5 and 5.7.6) is distinct from
the SDR encoding of the WebCGM instance itself (SDR, as described in each
of 3.2.2.1 thru 3.2.2.10).

Btw, in 5.7.6 the example for linkuri is:
"http://w3.org" 
"W3C"  "_blank"
Shouldn't it be:
'"http://w3.org" 
"W3C"  "_blank"'
I.e., enclosed in APOSTROPHEs?  A delimited string is a string of
wsp-separated substrings, according to the grammar of 5.5.  (Same
comment for 'name'.)

Regards.
-Lofton.