[Bug 1378] New: [XQuery] some editorial comments on A.1.1 grammar-note: leading-lone-slash

http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=1378

           Summary: [XQuery] some editorial comments on A.1.1 grammar-note:
                    leading-lone-slash
           Product: XPath / XQuery / XSLT
           Version: Last Call drafts
          Platform: All
        OS/Version: All
            Status: NEW
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P2
         Component: XQuery
        AssignedTo: chamberl@almaden.ibm.com
        ReportedBy: jmdyck@ibiblio.org
         QAContact: public-qt-comments@w3.org


A.1.1 grammar-note: leading-lone-slash

[See a later comment for suggested alternate wording.]

"stand alone unit"
    Change to "complete path expression".

'a leading prefix that expects a pattern to follow such as a QName or "*".'
    "leading prefix" is a bit vague.
    "expects" is suspect.
    change to 'the start of a path expression, followed by a terminal such as a
    QName or "*"'

"Both of these patterns also may occur as patterns which are recognized in
contexts where operators may occur."
    Not clear whether "both of these patterns" refers to "stand alone unit" and
    "leading prefix", or QName and "*". The latter, I think.

    But *QNames* don't "occur as patterns which are recognized in contexts where
    operators may occur." Instead, keywords (that could be mistaken for QNames)
    do.

'Thus, expressions such as "/ * 5" can easily be confused with the path
expression "/*".'
    By parsers.

"Therefore, a stand-alone slash on the right hand side of an operator,"
    "right"?? Surely "left"!

    It's not clear what you include in "operator". Do you include things like
    "+" and "-", where no confusion can arise? (e.g., "/+..." can't be the start
    of a path expression, so the slash must be a complete path expression.)

"will need to be parenthesized in order to stand alone,"
    It would be good to first say that it's illegal, and then get into how to
    achieve the intended effect legally.

    You don't *need* to parenthesize it -- that's just the easiest way to
    construct an equivalent legal query.

Received on Wednesday, 11 May 2005 07:31:46 UTC