Re: [F&O] IBM-FO-037: Strange description of fn:unordered

Thank you, Jim,

I'll watch this space.

Best regards,
Dimitre Novatchev.

--- Jim Melton <jim.melton@acm.org> wrote:
> Dimitre,
> 
> This is a personal response, and has not been seen, much less approved,
> by 
> the Query WG.
> 
> The Query WG is considering some proposed changes to the facilities
> related 
> to "unordered" in XQuery/XPath.  It's too soon to tell precisely what 
> outcome will result, but I feel personally confident that the situation 
> will not remain as it is.  The results might be more favorable to you
> than 
> the current situation.
> 
> Watch this space!
>     Jim
> 
> At 02:45 PM 3/4/2004 Thursday, Dimitre Novatchev wrote:
> 
> > > (IBM-FO-037): Section 15.1.14 (fn:unordered): The summary begins
> "This
> > > function takes a sequence, or more typically, an expression that
> > > evaluates to a sequence ...". This implies that a "sequence" is
> somehow
> > > different from "an expression that evaluates to a sequence."
> Actually
> > > there is no difference. The phrase beginning "or more typically"
> should
> > > be deleted.
> >
> >I commented about the lack of meaning of this definition. If they
> remove
> >the phrase "or more typically, an expression that evaluates to a
> >sequence", then this whole function becomes useless to them. Their idea
> is
> >that the argument *must* be an expression, which is not yet evaluated.
> The
> >fact that such an expression is passed as argument to fn:unordered will
> >tell the processor (!) that it is allowed not to preserve order and to
> >produce an unordered result...
> >
> >The purely formal problem with this function definition is that there
> is
> >no "expression" data type in the DM, therefore, they can only explain
> it
> >in plain English...
> >
> >Of course, this is absolutely incorrect!
> >
> >I propose once again that this function definition be removed from the
> >document. All other arguments put aside, the mere failure of the
> attempt
> >to define it correctly is a very strong indicator that this is simply
> not
> >a function.
> >
> >Dimitre Novatchev.
> >
> >
> >__________________________________
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> 
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Received on Friday, 5 March 2004 10:27:07 UTC