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Re: [ddlm-group] Eliding in triple-quoted strings: Proposals C andD. .. .. .

Dear James,

   You are clearly a much better programmer than I am. When I got down into 
the interactions among the treble quote, single quotes, text fields, 
elides, the bracketed constructs and comments in the lexical scan, I found 
the going tough.  If you have it done neatly, I would greatly appreciate 
seeing it.

   I think we need a face to face meeting or Skype meeting to resolve not 
just this one issue, but the process of getting a workable CIF2.  Perhaps 
we can finally get to do that in Madrid.

   Regards,
     Herbert


=====================================================
  Herbert J. Bernstein, Professor of Computer Science
    Dowling College, Kramer Science Center, KSC 121
         Idle Hour Blvd, Oakdale, NY, 11769

                  +1-631-244-3035
                  [email protected]
=====================================================

On Sat, 8 Jan 2011, James Hester wrote:

> I can't let these assertions go unchallenged:
>
> On Sat, Jan 8, 2011 at 12:04 PM, Herbert J. Bernstein
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Dear Simon,
>>
>> � Adoption of Ralf's proposal will ...
>>
>> � 1. �Make it much easier to create a CIF2 parser, because for one of
>> the messiest parts of the code we will have a clear specification,
>> sample code and a way to validate the tough cases.
>
> If we adopt a simpler spec than the Python in toto spec:
> - there will be many fewer tough cases
> - there will be a simpler and therefore clearer specification
> - for many alternative schemes the lexer will be unchanged from the
> current version, with the elide behaviour
>  simply requiring a search and replace following lexing
> Triple-quoted string handling is not currently a messy part of the
> code, I don't understand why you think this.  It will become
> significantly more complex under Ralf's proposal.
>
>> � 2. �Make it easier for users to conform the the quoting rules, because
>> at least that one part of CIF2 will be thoroughly documented with lots
>> of examples.
>
> Quoting rules are not rocket science.  About 3 examples will be
> enough, if we adopt a simple specification rather
> than the unicode+raw+lots of escapes that the Python proposal entails.
> Doing things the Python way would
> imply more chance for user misunderstanding, especially bearing in
> mind that CIF2 users are not necessarily
> Python programmers or even programmers at all.  For these users, there
> is absolutely no benefit in adopting Python or any other language's
> approach - they are unfamiliar with them all.
>
>> � 3. �Make is easier for the journals and archives to deal with "odd"
>> CIF2 files containing complex treble quoted strings because at
>> least �that one part of CIF2 will be throughly documented with lots
>> of examples, and, with a utility (IDLE) all ready to allow them
>> to pull out a troublesome treble-quoted string and figure out what
>> it means or what it might mean if some intuitive change were made.
>
> The simpler the spec, the less likely mistakes will be made and the
> less chance of ambiguity.
>
>> � Yes, if Ralf's proposal happens to be rejected, we will still have
>> a problem in the lack of elide handling, and yes we will have to
>> put in the time an effort to consider those alternatives, but, first,
>> in order to have some chance of finishing the specification of CIF2
>> before the summer meeting deadlines (at least one of which is in
>> just a little more than 3 weeks), might it not be a good idea
>> to discuss and consider what was actually proposed instead of
>> chasing after lots of plausible alternatives that we already discussed
>> and rejected, and so are not very likely to agree upon rapidly now.
>
> I have some hope that, by restricting our discussion to treble-quoted
> strings, we can make progress compared to previous attempts.  I have
> considered and discussed at length Ralf's proposal, and would be
> interested in your responses to my particular objections.
>
>> � So, before I will delve into the many subtle variations of elide
>> mechanisms, I would appreciate our finishing consideration of Ralf's
>> actual proposal:
>>
>> =======================
>>
>> His revised wording (with one correction) is:
>>
>> ========================
>>
>> CHANGE 7 NEW
>>
>>
>> Triple-quote delimited strings.
>>
>> The following ASCII sequences delimit the beginning of a string:
>>
>> � � """
>> � � '''
>> � � r"""
>> � � r'''
>> � � u"""
>> � � u'''
>>
>> The characters following the delimiter sequence are interpreted
>> with exactly the same algorithm as implemented for triple-quoted
>> strings in the Python programming language version 2 series.
>> In this algorithm, triple-quoted strings are terminated by matching
>> """ or ''' delimiters.
>>
>> For example
>>
>> � � """He said "His name is O'Hearly"."""
>> � � r'''In {\bf \TeX} the accents are \' and \".'''
>>
>> Triple-quoted strings provide a reliable mechanism for storing any
>> arbitrary string in a CIF2 file.
>>
>> =========================
>>
>> This is cleaner and simpler than the original change 7 wording.
>> It probably does not conflict with existing CIF1 documents and the
>> _only_ CIF2 documents it can conflict with are the very few
>> that happen to end in \""" or \''''. �The new leading delimiters
>> r""", r''', u""" and u''' will have to be added to the list of forbidden
>> starts to white-space delimited data values in change 5. �In exchange for
>> this minor adjustments to valid CIF2 syntax we gain a fully documented,
>> software supported way to include arbitrary strings in a CIF2 document
>> that people are already used to working with.
>>
>> I have reviewed the discussion of the "use of elides in strings"
>> thread in the ddlm-group discussion list, and, while I did not
>> then and do not now understand the objections to the general use
>> of elides in quoted strings, I particularly do not understand
>> the logic of objecting to the use of elides in treble-quoted strings,
>> which are a construct completely new to CIF and therefore in
>> conflict with no existing data files.
>>
>> Would those who have an objection to Ralf's proposal please
>> state their objections. �An objection that says we object because
>> in past discussions another body could not manage to come to an
>> agreement and just gave up does not speak to the merits of this
>> specific proposal.
>>
>> I have no idea why we are considering other proposals before
>> settling the status of Ralf's proposal.
>
> It is also useful to know what the alternatives might be when
> considering a proposal.
>
>> I agree with Ralf's proposal.
>>
>> Regards,
>> � Herbert
>>
>> At 12:37 AM +0000 1/8/11, SIMON WESTRIP wrote:
>>> Dear Herbert
>>>
>>> I fail to see how the adoption of python string quoting rules is going to
>>> make life easier for anyone other than a python programmer?
>>> Even then, the mechanism is restricted to treble-quoted strings,
>>> which are only
>>> one part of CIF. Maybe I've missed something, but just because CIF might share
>>> common syntax with a programming language in one respect, does not
>>> necessarily mean
>>> that the tools of that medium are available to CIF?
>>>
>>> If you're looking to base CIF extensions on established mechanisms,
>>> why not adopt
>>> the minimal \(newline) and \\ escape sequences, which in essence are
>>> the same as
>>> the established CIF line-folding protocol (just dropping the initial
>>> \ following the opening
>>> delimiter and formalising the protocol as an inherent part of the
>>> spec). Afterall, I beleive you
>>> have already been using it, or at least interpreted it, as a means
>>> to escape 'semicolon delimiters' within
>>> semicolon-delimited values (I seem to recall discussions that
>>> identified an issue with the published 'trip tests'
>>> relating to line folding).
>>>
>>> Forgive me if I have missed something regarding the usefulness of
>>> python in CIF; please enlighten me
>>> as to its benefits if I were to write a CIF reader using anything
>>> but python. As far as I can see, the only
>>> advantages lie in the fact that the logic is established and thus
>>> unquestionable; but that does not mean it is
>>> necessarily entirely appropriate for CIF (which afterall isn't a
>>> programming language).
>>>
>>> Cheers
>>>
>>> Simon
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> From: Herbert J. Bernstein <[email protected]>
>>> To: Group finalising DDLm and associated dictionaries <[email protected]>
>>> Sent: Friday, 7 January, 2011 23:07:40
>>> Subject: Re: [ddlm-group] Eliding in triple-quoted strings:
>>> Proposals C and D. .. .. .
>>>
>>> Dear Colleagues,
>>>
>>> � Ralf's proposal is what it is. �Before we go haring off in other
>>> directions, we should respond constructively to what he has proposed.
>>> I support it. �Ralf and John W. support it. �John B. and James H.
>>> oppose it. �I think they are mistaken because ...
>>>
>>> � It is well and good to adopt a "Real Programmers Don't Each
>>> Quiche" let's-start-from-scratch-and-roll-our-own approach when
>>> you have the resources to accomplish our goals that way. �It
>>> is a lot of fun, and has the potential to truly advance the
>>> field, but it is also, in the current funding climate, unrealistic.
>>>
>>> � In the U.S., there is a serious prospect to science funding being
>>> cut back so severely that the hit rates on grants next year may
>>> be as low as 1 in 10. �I suspect an honest review of funding prospects
>>> in other countries will uncover similarly dire warnings.
>>>
>>> � This does not mean we are all going out of buisness, but we do have
>>> to be careful to conserve resources and focus our do-it-from-scratch
>>> efforts on those areas that have the highest priority, and I fear,
>>> for most of our community, CIF2, while important, is not likely to
>>> be seen as worth that approach, and certainly filing the edges of
>>> a brand-new treble quote spec is likely to be very far down
>>> on anybody's priority list.
>>>
>>> Ralf has made a proposal that will save all of us a lot of effort
>>> and allow us to devote more resources to higher priority problems.
>>>
>>> Not only is he right on this one point, but I urge us to look for
>>> other areas where we can get to CIF2 by building on work that is
>>> already done.
>>>
>>> This is not a good time for wheel-reinvention.
>>>
>>> I would appreciate knowing from those who wish to reinvent this
>>> particular wheel, why they wish to do that and from where they
>>> expect to get the resources to do it?
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> � Herbert
>>>
>>> =====================================================
>>> � Herbert J. Bernstein, Professor of Computer Science
>>> � � Dowling College, Kramer Science Center, KSC 121
>>> � � � � Idle Hour Blvd, Oakdale, NY, 11769
>>>
>>> � � � � � � � � � +1-631-244-3035
>>> � � � � � � � � � <mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]
>>> =====================================================
>>>
>>> On Fri, 7 Jan 2011, Bollinger, John C wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>> �On Friday, January 07, 2011 3:14 PM, Herbert J. Bernstein wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> �We seem not to be communicating effectively.
>>> �>>
>>>>> �What I am asking for is an _existing_, supported treble quote specification
>>>>> �from an _existing_ language with _existing_ documentation and
>>>>> �_existing_ software as an alternative to the Python specification,
>>>>> �documentation and software to which we all have access, that is being
>>>>> �proposed as an alternative
>>>>> �to what Ralf has proposed.
>>>>
>>>> �Thank you for that clarification. �You are right, I didn't understand
>>>> �what you were asking for.
>>>>
>>>> �I hope this will likewise clarify my position: I reject the premise that
>>>> �the system we choose must meet those criteria, and I oppose adopting the
>>>> �full Python syntax and semantics.
>>>>
>>>>> �The Python specification is available at
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> <http://docs.python.org/reference/index.html>http://docs.python.org/reference/index.html
>>>>>
>>>>> �with the lexical analysis at
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> <http://docs.python.org/reference/lexical_analysis.html>http://docs.python.org/reference/lexical_analysis.html
>>>>
>>>> �Thanks, though that is exactly what I was looking at already. �It leaves
>>>> �several details unclear, some of which I discussed in previous messages.
>>>> �Hence, I consider it slightly short of a *full* specification. �It does,
>>>> �however, provide my grounds for opposing adoption of that scheme for
>>>> �CIF.
>>>>
>>>>> �The complete source code and binaries are available at:
>>>>
>>>> �Unless you propose to append a particular set of Python sources to the
>>>> �CIF specification as a reference, I have no interest in perusing the
>>>> �source code to seek answers to such questions of detail as I have.
>>>> �Furthermore, I would oppose adding such an appendix on the grounds that
>>>> �it would be exceedingly difficult to use to resolve questions such as
>>>> �mine.
>>>>
>>>> �I am likewise unwilling to rely on the behavior the python binary that
>>>> �happens to be installed on my computer to answer them. �If the correct
>>>> �behavior is not documented independent of the program then there is no
>>>> �particular reason to trust that it won't change in future versions, or
>>>> �that any particular implementation is correct or bug-free.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> �Regards,
>>>>
>>>> �John
>>>>
>>>> �--
>>>> �John C. Bollinger, Ph.D.
>>>> �Department of Structural Biology
>>>> �St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> �Email Disclaimer:
>>>> <http://www.stjude.org/emaildisclaimer>www.stjude.org/emaildisclaimer
>>>>
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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
>> � � � � � � � � �[email protected]
>> =====================================================
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