[Bug 2970] Datatypes 2006-02-17 WD: merge precisionDecimal and decimal

http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=2970

           Summary: Datatypes 2006-02-17 WD: merge precisionDecimal and
                    decimal
           Product: XML Schema
           Version: 1.1 only
          Platform: Macintosh
        OS/Version: All
            Status: NEW
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P2
         Component: Datatypes: XSD Part 2
        AssignedTo: cmsmcq@w3.org
        ReportedBy: xan.gregg@jmp.com
         QAContact: www-xml-schema-comments@w3.org


Adding xs:precisionDecimal is clearly a big change for 1.1. But given that, why be so conservative with 
xs:decimal? Like adding a new datatype, expanding the value and lexical spaces for xs:decimal (e.g., 
INF, 2.1E-2) doesn't impact existing uses. Old valid decimals are still valid.

Furthermore, why not have xs:precisionDecimal be the base type of xs:decimal? This requires widening 
the xs:decimal value/lexical spaces, as above, and having the xs:decimal mapping choose a particular 
value for the precision property. A good choice would be to use the least precision value that maintains 
numerical equality and that forces at least one fraction digit in the precisionDecimal canonical 
representation.

I know it is undesirable for a type to have a different lexical mapping than its base type, but nearby 
xs:integer already has that defect. One could even argue that many xs:string types also have the same 
issue via the whitespace facet. For instance, some lexical representations will produce different values 
for xs:token than they produce for xs:string.

Received on Thursday, 2 March 2006 23:55:09 UTC