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Re: [Cif2-encoding] Splitting of imgCIF and other sub-topics. .... .. .

We can keep debating complex changes to what has already been well-established
CIF practice, and delay implementation of CIF2 longer, or even forever,
or we can work from where we are now and let these issues be resolved
in their own time while we get experience with CIF2.

I am formally asking for a vote of all COMCIFS voting members on the proposed
wording as it stands.

-- Herbert


At 4:42 PM -0500 9/17/10, Bollinger, John C wrote:
>On Friday, September 17, 2010 1:34 PM, Herbert J. Bernstein wrote
>
>>===============================================================
>>
>>Proposed position on CIF2 character encodings submitted to
>>COMCIFS for a vote as an interim agreement on what can be
>>agreed thus far, subject to extension and refinement in
>>the future.
>>
>>===============================================================
>[...]
>CIF2 files are standard variable length text files
>[...]
>References to Unicode and UTF-8 are specifically to identify characters
>and a concrete representation of those characters in an established and
>widely available standard.  It is understood that CIF2 documents may
>be constructed and maintained on computer that implements other character
>encodings.
>[...]
>
>I understand you are anxious to finish standardizing, but I cannot 
>support that language.  It is easily susceptible to at least two 
>conflicting interpretations, one of which is too broad, and the 
>other too narrow:
>
>1) Any text encoding whatever may be used for any CIF, anywhere.
>
>2) Only the encoding(s) recognized by default for "text" in some 
>particular context is supported for CIFs in that context.  (This 
>precludes UTF-8 in at least some places.)
>
>If there are other reasonable interpretations then that only makes 
>the problem worse.  That CIF1 suffers from the same ambiguity 
>(albeit with less impact owing to its restricted character set) does 
>not change anything.
>
>
>I, too, want to wrap this up, and I think we are close to doing so.
>
>
>Regards,
>
>John
>--
>John C. Bollinger, Ph.D.
>Department of Structural Biology
>St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
>
>
>Email Disclaimer:  www.stjude.org/emaildisclaimer
>
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>cif2-encoding mailing list
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-- 
=====================================================
  Herbert J. Bernstein, Professor of Computer Science
    Dowling College, Kramer Science Center, KSC 121
         Idle Hour Blvd, Oakdale, NY, 11769

                  +1-631-244-3035
                  yaya@dowling.edu
=====================================================
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