[Bug 11682] New: under-specification of func-available-environment-variables and unc-available-environment-variable

http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=11682

           Summary: under-specification of
                    func-available-environment-variables and
                    unc-available-environment-variable
           Product: XPath / XQuery / XSLT
           Version: Member-only Editors Drafts
          Platform: Macintosh
        OS/Version: Mac System 9.x
            Status: NEW
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P2
         Component: Functions and Operators 3.0
        AssignedTo: mike@saxonica.com
        ReportedBy: dflorescu@mac.com
         QAContact: public-qt-comments@w3.org


The following functions are under-specified.

http://www.w3.org/XML/Group/qtspecs/specifications/xpath-functions-30/html/Overview.html#func-available-environment-variables

http://www.w3.org/XML/Group/qtspecs/specifications/xpath-functions-30/html/Overview.html#func-environment-variable

I have the following questions:

1. I am not sure I understand what  is a "available environment variables from
the dynamic context".
I guess that this has nothing to do with the available XQuery variables, right
? (otherwise their names
would be QNames, not strings). But I do not see any other thing in the dynamic
context that bears such name.

So what are environment variables ? Operating system-related variables ?
Process-related  ? Implementation -defined completely ?

This needs a little bit more clarification.

2. The text implies that the result of such a function call depends of the
current status of the external environment where the program is executed. As a
consequence such a function is nondeterministic, right ?

3. The text also implies that the invocation of XQuery external functions could
have side effects on the external environment. Shouldn't this better be left to
 XQuery scripting ? Such a note can only add confusion.


4. In general, I am not convinced that such a function should be standardized
and imposed to all
XQuery processors.


Best regards
Dana

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Received on Thursday, 6 January 2011 17:27:20 UTC