Re: delimiters vs separators

> > It is plausible to consider that both terminators and separators are
> > delimiters.
>
> I look at it like this: a terminator or separator, especially in 
> linear data,
> does not necessarily offset a piece of data from all other adjacent 
> data,
> which is what I perceive the role of a delimiter to be; it just gives 
> you a way
> to distinguish between what data precedes and what data follows the 
> separator
> itself, which may or may not be enough information to identify a 
> finite range.

A delimiter marks the beginning or end of a unit of data.  A separator
separates two units of data.  In CSV, for instance, a line containing
a single comma represents two empty units of data.  A separator is
therefore a bidirectional delimiter.

rfc2396bis uses the term delimiter correctly.  Some of them are being
used as separators, but they also delimiters.

....Roy

Received on Sunday, 8 February 2004 04:20:32 UTC