[Os-project-managers] Question about schemas

[Horand Gassmann]

Hi guys,

I have thought some more about the OSrL question of the last few  
exchanges. I do not have a solution, but there are other questions,  
about both OSrL and OSoL.

1. OSoL> We have <other> elements in <variables>, <constraints> and  
<objectives>, and there is a "type" attribute. What does that  
attribute refer to? I think it is ambiguous. Since the <var> array is  
optional, it seems that there could be an option something like

<other name="relaxIntegrality" type="real" value="0.2"/>

In this case, the "type" refers to the value of the option. But in  
other cases, such as

<other name="stageInfo" type="integer" numberOfVar="2">
<var idx="0" value="1"/>
<var idx="1" value="2"/>
</other>

what does the "type" attribute of the <other> refer to? I assume it  
refers to the value inside the <var> element. Is that your reading  
also? Should there then be an attribute "varType" and "enumType" to  
allow for the possibility that an <other> option has both a global  
value and a number of <var> children, with possibly different types?  
Also, why does each <var> element have an optional "name", and should  
there be a restriction that either a <var> array or an <enumeration>  
can be given, but not both? Or should the restriction also cover the  
"value" attribute, that is, there can be at most (exactly?) one of  
"value", <var>, <enumeration>? In the latter case, we could get by  
with the single "type" element, but we had better document this!!!

2. The same question for the OSrL schema.

3. In addition, when we set up "type" for OSrL, I think we should have  
an enumeration of types. What should go into that enumeration?

integer
real (or double?)
char
string
boolean (? needed? "true"/"false" are strings)
?

Cheers

gus
-------------------------------------------------------

Horand I. Gassmann, Professor

School of Business Administration, Dalhousie University
6100 University Avenue, PO Box 15000
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ph. (902) 494-1844
fax (902) 494-1107

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