RE: no empty strings in DAV

Upon reflection, I believe that empty property values 
are precisely the set of null values: (1) The property 
is defined for the resource, (2) there is no value. This 
is precisely the definition of null value.

Upon further reflection, I agree with you that
the concept of "zero length string" (i.e., "empty string") 
need not be a concept that is added to WebDAV, or DASL.
So, I believe that the wording change should be

"Empty property values are NULL values and vice versa."

Alan Babich

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jim Davis [mailto:jdavis@parc.xerox.com]
> Sent: September 14, 1998 9:50 AM
> To: www-webdav-dasl@w3.org
> Subject: no empty strings in DAV
> 
> 
> section 5.5.3 says "Empty strings (zero length strings) are 
> not NULL  values."
> 
> I think this should be
> 
> "Empty property values are not NULL  values."
> 
> because 'empty string' is not a DAV concept, but 'empty value' is.
> 
> Many DAV properties may be empty (e.g. resourcetype, lockdiscovery).
> Nowhere does DAV speak of empty 'strings'.
> 
> Moreoever, in XML (which DAV uses) there does not seem to be 
> any way to
> make this distinction.  That is, the XML <foo></foo>  is just 
> empty.  It
> does not contain a zero a length string, it just does not 
> contain anything.
>  So I do not see how a property in DAV could ever come to 
> contain an 'empty
> string'
> 
> Any objection to changing the language?
> 
> 
> ------------------------------------
> http://www.parc.xerox.com/jdavis/
> 650-812-4301
>

Received on Monday, 14 September 1998 15:44:55 UTC