Re: Test Assertions for UBL Calculation Model?

["G. Ken Holman" <gkholman@CraneSoftwrights.com>]

At 2009-06-23 21:36 +0100, Stephen Green wrote:
>I added to wiki what could be a possible start on which entities
>need the calculation assertions

Excellent.

>I realise it's a little different to your proposed way forward Ken.

My strawman proposals are put up to be shot down.

>I'm more inclined to think the way to go is to set up a project
>for assertions about the calculation model which feeds directly
>into the UBL TC and its process for authoritative approval

Fine ... that is the mechanism.

>rather than start with a more distant model like the OIO-UBL one
>which might be seen as a customisation model rather than
>official UBL TC one.

I was only using that document as a source for the information.  My 
proposal was to use XPath expressions.  Wouldn't XPath expressions be 
a part of the assertion?

>This is taking into account advice I was
>getting about the authoring of test assertions in support of a spec
>from the Java spec/conformance guys from Sun and the JCP
>in the OASIS Test Assertions Guidelines TC. I actually think the
>lessons of software engineering are applicable to documents too
>and that conformance and quality assurance for interoperability,
>etc can be improved in document standards the same way they
>can in software (and other engineering) standards like Java -

Kewl!  I look forward to learning from your example.

>by the kinds of steps we outlined in the Test Assertions Guidelines
>
>http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/tag/200906/msg00000.html
>(now voted suitable for public review)
>TestAssertionsGuidelines-draft-1-0-5.pdf
>Latest draft link updated here
>http://wiki.oasis-open.org/tag/TestAssertionGuidelines
>
>We are close to having a usable markup for this which for a
>document standard like UBL could even be written so as to
>be executable as a test suite for conformance and/or interoperability
>
>http://www.oasis-open.org/apps/group_public/download.php/33024/TestAssertionMarkup-0-3.zip

Interesting.

Note that putting the element names and XPath location addresses in 
code format by surrounding the strings with back-quotes will prevent 
the camel-case UBL element names from being recognized as wiki 
abbreviations for hyperlinks.

And while you and I are comfortable inferring cac: and cbc: prefixes 
... I think for other users new to UBL it will help if we are 
explicit about the namespaces.

Does it make sense to use this page as a table of contents page and 
to create separate wiki pages where the actual TAG markup would be 
included and documented?  I've assumed so and have updated the page:

   http://wiki.oasis-open.org/ubl/Example_Calculation_Models

If you don't agree, that's fine too and we can revert.  In these 
early stages it will be interesting to see how the wiki structure ends up.

When creating page links from this table of contents page, remember 
to use "/sub pages" rather than regular pages, as I have done this evening.

I've copied the UBL definitions in to the prototype on:

   http://wiki.oasis-open.org/ubl/Example_Calculation_Models/Invoice_Tax_Total

... and I've left you instructions to convert what I've written into 
test assertions.  The XPath expressions are written assuming that the 
given element is the current node (hence a lot of "../" accesses 
through the parent).

>Maybe I could even get some funding from somewhere to help
>as I think it could take a fair bit of time to produce the test assertions
>for a calculation model for UBL (maybe months) - and to pass
>comments regarding ambiguities and gaps back to the UBL TC
>along with seeking their approval of test assertions and supporting
>comments.

Bonus!

Is it possible to layer test assertions?  If so, could I express the 
Canadian calculation model as a combination of the common calculation 
model and Canadian differences?

Thanks, Stephen!

. . . . . . . . . . Ken

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