[wg11] Part 28: Incompatible revision of the MAP directive

[Heidi L Preston]

In response to several ballot comments, the Part 28 editing meeting has
decided that no post processor will be required to accept an arbitrary
configuration file, and process XML data according to the resulting XML
schema.  Rather, the configuration language will be used to formally define
the derivation of particular (perhaps normative) XML schemas from the
corresponding EXPRESS schemas.  Germany has requested a more powerful MAP
configuration directive to specify the mapping of an arbitrary EXPRESS
defined data type to an arbitrary XML schema data type, e.g., "julian_date"
to "xsd:dateTime" or "address" to CEFACT "Address".  The editing meeting
proposes to accept this comment, and to change the current MAP directive to
support it.

This change in effect makes it IMPOSSIBLE to build a post processor that
can accept an arbitrary configuration file, and process XML data according
to the resulting XML schema.  In general, the post processor would need
specific knowledge of how to perform any/all such MAPped transforms.

This is not a problem for post processors for specific derived XML schemas,
e.g., the proposed AP214 XML schemas, or the probably AP238 and AP239 XML
schemas.  Those post processors will understand the interpretation of the
(perhaps normative) XML schema.

It is also not a problem for schema generator tools, in that generating the
MAPped XML schema only does not require knowledge of how to perform the
data transforms.

We recognize that this situation will be incompatible with the previous
requirements of the draft.  Does anyone have a problem with this
generalization of the MAP directive?






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Heidi Preston
Electric Boat Corporation
75 Eastern Point Road
Groton, CT 06340
(860) 433-8649