Subject: Re: RFC-2445: ABNF/prose mismatch on parameters

From: Doug Royer <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 19 Jul 1999 14:24:20 -0700 (PDT)

> Date: Tue, 13 Jul 1999 17:44:07 +0200
> From: John Stracke <[email-masked]>
> 
> Something that came up in the meeting just now, that Pat asked be sent
> to the list:
> 
> The ABNF in RFC-2445 specifies an ordering for the parameters of a
> component: first the mandatory params, then the
> "optional-and-can-occur-only-once" params, then the
> "optional-and-can-occur-multiple-times" params.  This disagrees with the
> prose.  Frank's recollection is that this ordering was accidental, a
> side effect of the easiest way to write the ABNF.  The sense of the WG
> meeting is that, when we go to Draft Standard, we should probably change
> the ABNF to agree with the prose, opening up the spec so that parameters
> can be in any order.
> 
> Opinions?

I agree - I seem to recall that was the intention of the WG, the draft
is in error.

-Doug
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From: <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 00:19:28 -0400 (EDT)

Thanks for reposting.

> I agree - I seem to recall that was the intention of the WG, the draft

OK. As I'm not sure what "the prose" refers to exactly I will try to throw
out an example. Let's examine 4.6.1 - Event Component; more specifically,
"eventprop".

I can not see a problem with the prose. The mandatory params are first,
then the "optional-and-can-occur-only-once" params, then the
"optional-and-can-occur-multiple-times" params. Section 4.6.1 seems to
follow the specified ordering of parameters.

Is there a specific section that isn't correct or am I missing something
patently obvious?

Thanks.