SCXML WD external state example incomplete

Dear Working Group,

the SCXML Working Draft is not fully consistent if the initialstate 
attribute is required for an external state, that is a state that has a 
src attribute pointing to a file containing its content.

The attribute details (WD 3.1.1) define the initialstate attribute as 
required, without any exception for external states.
The example Test2Sub1.scxml (WD F.1) does not have a initialstate 
attribute.

This could be a minor omission in the example, of course, but still I am 
not sure.

So the real question is: what exactly is the format of the external file 
referenced by a src attribute?

It could be one of the following

a) a complete SCXML document, with scxml element as root, and exactly 
one state element, that is identical to the state element in the main 
SCXML document, and without initialstate attribute.
This would follow the example.

b) as a), but with an initialstate attribute pointing to its one and 
only state.
This would meet the definition of the scxml element

c) an fragment of a SCXML document, without scxml  root element, but 
with exactly one state element as root.
This would avoid the question if initialstate is required.

d) a fragement with the content of the state element, that is an XML 
fragment with a list of elements, not with a single root.
This would _not_: follow the example, and it would be hard to edit with 
an XML editor.


Thanks in advance for clarification

Wolfgang Frech

Received on Wednesday, 14 February 2007 18:36:12 UTC