CAP 10: ABNF for latency-param and action-param

[Bruce_Kahn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

I applaud Dougs efforts to edit the
draft solo but I would like to propose that the ABNF relating to all latency-param
and action-param instances be slightly amended to be clearer from an ABNF
POV (and to aid in better defining 'properly' formed commands from the
ABNF frame).  Currently all ABNFs that involve latency-param and action-param
are like this one:

deleteparam  = *(

             ; the following are optional,
             ; but MUST NOT occur more than
once
             ;
              id-param
             / localize-param
             / latency-param
             / option-param "MARK"

             ; The following MUST occur exactly
once and only
             ; when the latency-param has
been supplied and
             ; MUST NOT be supplied if the
latency-param is
             ; not supplied.
             ;
             / action-param

             ; the following is optional,
             ; and MAY occur more than once
             ;
             / other-params
            )

Strictly speaking the ABNF does not actually link action-param to latency-param;
the prose in the comment does.  I would ask that we change the ABNF
to be:

deleteparam  = *(

             ; the following are optional,
             ; but MUST NOT occur more than
once
             ;
              id-param
             / localize-param
             / ( latency-param [action-param]
)
             / option-param "MARK"

             ; the following is optional,
             ; and MAY occur more than once
             ;
             / other-params
            )

It does impart an orrder
to the occurance of LATENCY=... and ACTION="" but since the latter MUST
occur only if the former does this is not necessarily a bad thing.  It
also serves to directly link action-param to latency-param which is good
for doing command validity checking...  The bounding parens are just
for visual keying, they are not necessary really.  

Thoughts?

Bruce
===========================================================================
Bruce Kahn                  
             INet: Bruce_Kahn@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Messaging & Collaboration            
    Phone: 978.399.6496
IBM Software Group                
        FAX: and nothing but the FAX...
Standard disclaimers apply, even where prohibited by law...