Re: Sometimes an empty value means "use the default value" and sometimes it doesn't ... right?

At 2012-08-23 19:04 +0000, Costello, Roger L. wrote:
>Thus sometimes an empty value means "use the default value" and 
>sometimes it doesn't.  Right?

What something "means" is up to the semantics of the applications 
that act on the content, and to the vocabulary designers who are 
trying to impose common understandings of use amongst those employing 
the vocabulary.

To add to your list, in UBL an empty value means "error" ... there is 
an instance rule that no element shall be empty because it could be 
ambiguous between trading partners.

   http://docs.oasis-open.org/ubl/os-UBL-2.0/UBL-2.0.html#d0e3645
   "Use of empty elements within XML instance documents is a
    source of controversy for a variety of reasons."

I hope this helps.

. . . . . . . . . Ken


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Received on Thursday, 23 August 2012 19:17:35 UTC