Here is a proposal for simplifying IPP's natural language model. It's basically an elaboration of a suggestion made by Keith Moore in
http://www.egroups.com/list/ipp/3644.html
The idea is simple. Eliminate the implicit language form of text and name attributes.
Specifically:
1. Eliminate "attributes-natural-language" operation attribute.
2. Eliminate "attributes-natural-language" job object attribute.
3. Eliminate "textWithoutLanguage" attribute syntax.
4. Eliminate "nameWithoutLanguage" attribute syntax.
5. To allow client to specify desired natural language for Printer-generated text from multi-lingual Printers, add a new, OPTIONAL, "natural-language-requested" attribute to override Printer's "natural-language-configured".
Now every text and name attribute has an explicitly specified natural language.
Advantages:
1. Constructing responses is simpler. No need to consider a hierarchy of implicit language contexts. Printer never needs to convert from xWithoutLanguage to xWithLanguage.
2. Interpreting messages is simpler. Currently the same message can take many forms, depending on use of redundant NLOs, etc.
2. Comparing name and text values is simpler. No need to search a three-level precedence hierarchy to find the language of a value being compared. Name and text values can be compared out of context.
3. Implementation is simpler. Fewer attribute syntaxes required. 12 fewer attributes have multiple syntaxes. One less attribute in a special, reserved, required position.
4. Bandwidth savings. Using the examples from Section 9 of PRO:
9.1: save 30 bytes
9.2: save 23 bytes
9.3: save 30 bytes
9.4: save 30 bytes
9.5: save 37 bytes
9.6: save 37 bytes
9.7: save 60 bytes.
5. No loss in functionality over the original model.
6. Easier to specify and understand.
Disadvantage:
1. Reduced job security for IPP consultants ;-)
-Carl
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See the original message at http://www.egroups.com/list/ipp/?start=4596
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