xforms:select storage

All,

In section 8.1.10, I read:

   "For closed selections: If the initial instance value matches the
    storage value of one or more of the given items, those items are
    selected. If there is no match, no items are initially selected. If
    any selected values do not have a choice with a matching storage
    value, the form control must indicate an out-of-range condition."

(Note that this dates back to XForms 1.0 first edition.)

I have issues with this terminology.

1. The term "storage value" for an item appears only in section 8.1.10
    and does not have a definition. It should have a clear definition,
    or another wording should be used.

2. The term "matching" is quite informal. Do we mean that there is
    string equality? This should be clarified.

3. "If any selected values [...]": selected where? I don't think we
    mean a selected item here. We probably mean that a value appears
    in the sequence of space-separated values?

4. "[a value] does not have a choice with [...]": is this even
    English?

I guess that #3 and #4 mean that if I have an instance like this:

   <value>vanilla strawberry elephant</value>

and the following item values provided to the xforms:select control
with a closed selection:

   chocolate
   vanilla
   strawberry
   hazelnut

then the control indicates an out-of-range condition.

Is my guess right?

We should in my opinion:

1. Clarify #3 and #4, that is the last sentence of the paragraph.

2. Ideally, rewrite the whole thing to use a consistent terminology.

This is another of these cases where I think what we are trying to
specify is quite simple, but where the wording is imprecise and
misleading.

-Erik

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Received on Friday, 1 June 2007 20:01:14 UTC