Re: objecting to $ alone (was Re: SPARQL 2004-10-12 syntax and grammar issues)

On Mon, Nov 08, 2004 at 06:17:53AM -0800, Dirk-Willem van Gulik wrote:
> 
> 
> On Mon, 8 Nov 2004, Kendall Clark wrote:
> 
> >    most well-known RDF query language, which suggests that more people
> >    are used to seeing variables prefixed with "?" than with other
> >    characters. Upsetting their apple carts seems a mistake, if it can
> >    be avoided.
> 
> Given that there is barely an apple seed in that cart (compared to the
> real SQL world out there) - that is of very little concern to the industry
> at large I'd say.

Yes, in general, transitions between systems are vulnerable points in
a process. Some of us, I suppose, manage this vulnerability by trying
to preserve what we already think we have in our pockets; others of us
do so by reaching out to what new things we might acquire.

I don't know of a principled way to finesse this problem. I think the
usability argument trumps others, but it's not a slam dunk, itself,
and can be seen in several ways.

Hence, my actual position is to allow both "$" and "?", though not
mixed in one query, and stop worrying about "needless complexity". Or,
rather, worry about it in more tractable ways.

> Though your arguments about choosing not to care are perfectly valid - as
> not everyone will encounter SQL.

Yep.

Kendall Clark
-- 
Sometimes it's appropriate, even patriotic, to be ashamed
of your country. -- James Howard Kunstler

Received on Monday, 8 November 2004 14:56:13 UTC