[Os-project-managers] Quick question about GeneralFileHeader

[Horand Gassmann]

Kipp Martin <kmartin at chicagobooth.edu> wrote:

> Hi Gus:
>>
>> quick question about the complex type GeneralFileHeader in OSgL.  
>> Should the five elements <name>, <source>, <fileCreatedBy>,  
>> <description> and <licence> be required to follow a sequency model,  
>> or is the order not important?
>
> In the current OSiL order does matter. The sequence is <name>,  
> <source>, <description>.  I see no reason to deviate. If we now  
> require  the sequence to be <name>, <source>, <fileCreatedBy>,  
> <description> and <licence> older files will still parse since  
> <fileCreatedBy> is  not required.

If we allow a flexible order, old files will continue to parse, too.  
Relaxing the order is always backwards compatible. However, one point  
in favour of requiring the correct order to be followed is that it is  
easier to modify the existing OSiL parser.

> I think making the sequence follow a specific makes sense here. For  
> example, the first element should be <name> if it is present.
>
> That said, I don't feel extremley strong about this.

I don't have any strong feelings, either. However, the elements in the  
OSoL and OSrL <general> element can arrive in arbitrary order, so it  
looked a bit weird to impose a fixed order on the header. The only  
thing that is clear is that if I allow arbitrary order in OSoL, I got  
to allow arbitrary order in OSiL also, if I want to share the complex  
type between schemas.

Cheers

gus