Grammar doesn't state that in Step AxisSpecifier is optional, assumes child. from Liddicott, Ben on 2001-08-01 (www-xpath-comments@w3.org from July to September 2001)

From: Liddicott, Ben <ben.liddicott@gs.com>
Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 06:31:42 -0400 (EDT)
To: "'www-xpath-comments@w3.org'" <www-xpath-comments@w3.org>
Cc: "'ben.liddicott@bencat.demon.co.uk'" <ben.liddicott@bencat.demon.co.uk>, "'ben.liddicott@gs.com'" <ben.liddicott@gs.com>
Message-Id: <CB47B5428BF8D411BC230008C786C9F402C03F3E@gsln12e.ln.fw.gs.com>

The grammar states:

[4]    Step    ::=    AxisSpecifier NodeTest Predicate*  
   | AbbreviatedStep  
[5]    AxisSpecifier    ::=    AxisName '::'  
   | AbbreviatedAxisSpecifier  

Which is confusing because this doesn't allow "node()" or "div" or many of
the other paths given as examples. You later state that the "child::" is
effectively the default.

I suggest changing Step to this:

[4]    Step    ::=    AxisSpecifier* NodeTest Predicate*  
   | AbbreviatedStep  

with a note that "child::" is assumed. A similar problem appears to exist in
xslt's grammar for Pattern.

Cheers,
Ben Liddicott
+44 (20) 7552 1263
GSNet: 8 755 21263

Received on Wednesday, 1 August 2001 10:09:20 UTC