Duplicate datatype hierarchy

I think it would be very beneficial if the forms datatypes were consistent
and/or layered upon schema datatypes.  Definitely the requirements are
different.  In forms, the desire is to allow a variety of potential
representation and to allow ambiguity.  In schema, the desire is to have an
efficient, unambiguous representation.  For example, nobody would want a
user interface that made you type in 2000-04-07 in a date field.  The
underlying value space is the same, so all that XML Schema has done with
value-space constraints is still applicable.  All that is really necessary
is to define the translation from "form lexical" to "schema lexical"
representation and then let the underlying schema type validation systems to
take over.

For example, this form translation layer might convert "June" in form
lexical representation into 2000-06-01 in schema lexical representation by
using the current year to eliminate the ambiguity and by implying the first
of the month.

A lot of features you have described in your data hierarchy, open
enumerations, conjunction types, etc, I have lobbied for in XML Schema
datatypes.  I hope that some more will make it in the next public draft of
XML Datatypes.

Received on Friday, 7 April 2000 04:36:50 UTC