[Bug 26958] On not precluding updates in XQuery 3.1

https://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=26958

--- Comment #18 from C. M. Sperberg-McQueen <cmsmcq@blackmesatech.com> ---
With respect to comment 16, I do not think the argument "the text already does
X, therefore we should not entertain objections to the text doing X" is a sound
one, even if the text does in fact do X.

All of the occurrences of 'Creates a new map ...' and similar could easily be
replaced, without loss of clarity, by 'Returns a map ...' or 'Evaluates to a
map ...'.  In the case where the map passed in as an argument is deep-equal()
to the map returned, the current wording can (as JR points out) be read as
dictating the creation of a new map rather than potentially returning the same
map (assuming that maps have intensional identity and not extensional
identity).

If the existence of words in the current draft of a spec is taken as committing
the WG to every view of the world that can be read out of things, and requires
extraordinary measures to change, then the result will be to make WG members
inordinately cautions about accepting draft wording.

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Received on Tuesday, 4 November 2014 21:34:28 UTC