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Bug 5328 - Misuse of term "actual value"
Summary: Misuse of term "actual value"
Status: CLOSED FIXED
Alias: None
Product: XML Schema
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Datatypes: XSD Part 2 (show other bugs)
Version: 1.0/1.1 both
Hardware: PC Windows XP
: P1 normal
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: C. M. Sperberg-McQueen
QA Contact: XML Schema comments list
URL:
Whiteboard: cluster: terminology
Keywords: resolved
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2007-12-22 11:41 UTC by Michael Kay
Modified: 2008-05-31 07:51 UTC (History)
0 users

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Description Michael Kay 2007-12-22 11:41:40 UTC
In 4.3.5.2 XML Representation of enumeration Schema Components, it is stated that the {value} of the enumeration facet is based on the "actual value" of xs:enumeration/@value. But the definition of "actual value" in Part 1 says that this is obtained by interpreting the value of the attribute as written according to the type of that attribute defined in the schema for schemas, which in this case is xs:anySimpleType. Clearly the intent here is to interpret the value as an instance of the base type of the type being defined.

This problem also arises for "fixed" and "default" values defined in Schema Part 1, which adopts the informal style "the ·actual value· (with respect to the {type definition}) of the [attribute]". I would suggest adopting similar language for the definition of enumeration, and adding a gloss to the definition of "actual value" to indicate that in some cases the actual value is taken with respect to some type other than the type declared for the attribute in the schema for schemas.

(Note: in case anyone thinks that it's not necessary to fix this because it's obvious what was intended, I've just found a problem in Saxon that appears to result from taking a literal reading of what the spec says here, rather than guessing what was intended.)
Comment 1 C. M. Sperberg-McQueen 2008-05-26 16:39:01 UTC
A wording proposal intended to resolve this issue is at

  http://www.w3.org/XML/Group/2004/06/xmlschema-2/datatypes.b5328.html
  http://www.w3.org/XML/Group/2004/06/xmlschema-1/structures.b5328.html
  (member-only links)

The basic idea is to repair the definition of the term 'actual value'
to align with existing usage.
Comment 2 C. M. Sperberg-McQueen 2008-05-31 03:32:47 UTC
The wording proposal mentioned in comment #1 was adopted by the WG today.

Michael, your assent is assumed since you were on the call, but you can
indicate it once again by closing the issue.