Discussion List Archives

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

Re: [ddlm-group] Space as a list item separator

'Space only'

Simon

From: James Hester <jamesrhester@gmail.com>
To: Group finalising DDLm and associated dictionaries <ddlm-group@iucr.org>
Sent: Tuesday, 1 December, 2009 6:52:48
Subject: Re: [ddlm-group] Space as a list item separator

Dear CIF2 people: the time has come to vote on the list item separator issue.  Firstly: as far as I know, nobody is against space as a separator, so spaces will be possible list item separators.  Some may be against commas, so this vote is on whether or not to allow commas.

To summarise the arguments:

1. In favour of both space and comma
   - comma is used in some other non-CIF contexts as a list delimiter

2. Against comma:
   - A single type of separator makes the grammar simpler
   - Space is used everywhere else in CIF as a separator (consistency)
   - Comma can then be used in non-delimited strings

Space only: Nick, James (Nick is here)
Comma and Space: ?

On Tue, Dec 1, 2009 at 5:30 PM, James Hester <jamesrhester@gmail.com> wrote:
More specifically, CIF1.1 excludes square brackets as the first character in a non-delimited string.


On Tue, Dec 1, 2009 at 9:33 AM, James Hester <jamesrhester@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear Herbert: as CIF 1.1 doesn't define lists, I'm not sure why you suggest that the example below is a valid tag.

On Tue, Dec 1, 2009 at 12:36 AM, Herbert J. Bernstein <yaya@bernstein-plus-sons.com> wrote:
Sorry something got lost in the prior message.  It should have
read:

Dear Colleagues,

 Back to the question of commas.  If you accept the desirability of
having a CIF 1.5, commas in lists become very useful.  Someone with
a CIF 1.1 editor will be able to prepare a CIF 1.5 file for many
useful cases by doing all lists with commas and no embedded blanks
as long as they can make their lists fit on single lines.  In CIF 1.1

[[1,2,3],[4,5,6],[7,8,9]]

is a valid value for a tag, but

[[1 2 3] [4 5 6] [7 8 9]]

is not.


No, neither example is a valid CIF 1.1 tag.  CIF 1.1 explicitly excludes brackets as the first character of a non-delimited string.


Having the option of commas in lists will help to smooth the
transition for at least some people.



--
T +61 (02) 9717 9907
F +61 (02) 9717 3145
M +61 (04) 0249 4148



--
T +61 (02) 9717 9907
F +61 (02) 9717 3145
M +61 (04) 0249 4148



--
T +61 (02) 9717 9907
F +61 (02) 9717 3145
M +61 (04) 0249 4148
_______________________________________________
ddlm-group mailing list
ddlm-group@iucr.org
http://scripts.iucr.org/mailman/listinfo/ddlm-group

Reply to: [list | sender only]
International Union of Crystallography

Scientific Union Member of the International Science Council (admitted 1947). Member of CODATA, the ISC Committee on Data. Partner with UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in the International Year of Crystallography 2014.

International Science Council Scientific Freedom Policy

The IUCr observes the basic policy of non-discrimination and affirms the right and freedom of scientists to associate in international scientific activity without regard to such factors as ethnic origin, religion, citizenship, language, political stance, gender, sex or age, in accordance with the Statutes of the International Council for Science.

Useful links