[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Re: [ddlm-group] Use of elides in strings

• To: Group finalising DDLm and associated dictionaries <ddlm-group@iucr.org>
• Subject: Re: [ddlm-group] Use of elides in strings
• From: Joe Krahn <krahn@niehs.nih.gov>
• Date: Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:38:00 -0500
• In-Reply-To: <C731AC95.125CB%nick@csse.uwa.edu.au>
• References: <C731AC95.125CB%nick@csse.uwa.edu.au>

Nick Spadaccini wrote:
> It appears to me that we have spent far too long on a syntactic issue which
> can be avoided 99.9999% of the time. Quite simply given the 5 ways to
> delimit strings, it is next to impossible to get a situation where you
> cannot choose one of those to make the problem go away.
> 
> I think the RCSB systematically avoid it by choosing
> 
> "ab'cd"
> 'ab"cd'
> ;ab'"cd
> ;
> 
IMHO, it would be cleaner to have an consistent elide mechanism that 
works 100% of the time, rather than add yet more quote mechanisms, and 
not bother to add triple quoting to the CIF syntax.

If the semicolon-delimited quotes were updated to require an elided 
leading space on all quoted lines, the reverse-solidus elide sequence 
can also be avoided. It can also contain an entire CIF file, which can 
be valuable, even if some people think it is "silly".

Herbert's line-folding example:
;\
;\
;

would then be written as
;\
  ;\
;


The disadvantage is that it is not fully compatible with CIF1.1, but 
RCSB already indents intervening lines to match the first line, which is 
shifted by the beginning semicolon. For example (with ellipses added to 
avoid email folding):

;              The collection of x, y, and z ...
                with reference to a Cartesian ...
                system.
;


Even without changing the current syntax, you can put CIF within CIF by 
indenting the multi-line string at the application/dictionary side.

Joe Krahn
_______________________________________________
ddlm-group mailing list
ddlm-group@iucr.org
http://scripts.iucr.org/mailman/listinfo/ddlm-group

Reply to: [list | sender only]

• Follow-Ups:
  • Re: [ddlm-group] Use of elides in strings (James Hester)

• References:
  • Re: [ddlm-group] Use of elides in strings (Nick Spadaccini)

• Prev by Date: Re: [ddlm-group] Use of elides in strings
• Next by Date: Re: [ddlm-group] Use of elides in strings
• Prev by thread: Re: [ddlm-group] Use of elides in strings
• Next by thread: Re: [ddlm-group] Use of elides in strings
• Index(es):
  • Date
  • Thread