Concur that optional choices and also nillable are fundamentally important data-representation capabilities to support.
Note that similar issues occur for attributes, which also need to be supported by DFDL. When we round-trip convert element+attribute XML to element-only XML so that DFDL can handle it, similar data-representation issues can emerge. p.s. As with skateboards - XML attributes are not a crime. 8) all the best, Don -- Don Brutzman Naval Postgraduate School, Code USW/Br [email protected] Watkins 270, MOVES Institute, Monterey CA 93943-5000 USA +1.831.656.2149 X3D graphics, virtual worlds, Navy robotics https:// faculty.nps.edu/brutzman -----Original Message----- From: Roger L Costello <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, March 25, 2022 4:47 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Recommended changes to the DFDL language NPS WARNING: *external sender* verify before acting. Hi Folks, I am converting 350 military data formats to DFDL. Everyone of the 350 data formats has an optional choice: <xs:choice minOccurs="0"> DFDL does not allow optional choice. Why? I recommend changing the DFDL language to allow optional choice. Everyone of the 350 data formats has branches of a choice that are optional: <xs:choice> <xs:element name="foo" minOccurs="0"> DFDL does not allow branches in a choice to be optional. Why? I recommend changing the DFDL language to allow optional branches of a choice. Many of the 350 data formats have an element with complexType that is nillable and the nilValue is a hyphen. DFDL does not allow an element with complexType to have a nilValue other than %ES; I recommend changing the DFDL language to allow elements with complexType to have a nilValue other than %ES; /Roger
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