[om] the USE of <OMOBJ>

[Michael Kohlhase]

Ernesto,

If you agree, then I will present this suggestion at the workshop in 
your name. Then we can discuss this and send you feedback.

Michael

Reinaldo Barreiro, E. wrote:

> Dear all,
> 
> I would like to bring the following issue to the mailing list.
> 
> Why is the <OMOBJ> tag needed in the XML encoding of OpenMath objects?
> 
> I would like <OMOBJ> be declare as optional. Why?
> 
> 1-There is always a unique child of <OMOBJ>. So, all the information
>   <OMOBJ> holds can be also attributed to its unique child. For instance,
> <OMOBJ id="bla">
>    <OMA>
>         ...
>    </OMA>
> </OMOBJ>
> could be as well written as 
> <OMA id="bla">
>     ...
> </OMA>.
> No information is lost (as far as I can see).
> 
> 2-For the creation of interactive documents <OMOBJ> brings all
>   kind of problems. Consider the following hypothetical JSP 
>   code fragment
> 
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> <c:set name="a">
>     <OMOBJ>
>         <OMV name="A"/>
>     </OMOBJ>
> </c:set>
> 
> <c:set name="b">
>     <OMOBJ>
>         <OMV name="B"/>
>     </OMOBJ>
> </c:set>
> 
> Let <inlineequation><c:out name="a"/></inlineequation> and 
>     <inlineequation><c:out name="b"/></inlineequation> be 
> 
> ...
> 
> We compute 
> <equation>
>     <OMOBJ>
>         <OMA>
>             <OMS cd="arith1" name="plus"/>
>             <c:out name="a"/>
>             <c:out name="b"/>
>         </OMA>
>     </OMOBJ>
> </equation>
> ......
> -----------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Here a and b are string variables containing the XML encoded openmath objects.
> Clearly, in <inlineequation><c:out name="a"/></inlineequation> we get
> a "valid" OpenMath object, but in the last expression, involving <c:out name="a"/> 
> and <c:out name="b"/> we will have to find a way to get rid of the 
> <OMOBJ> in order to get a valid openmath object. This "problem" disappear 
> either if we get rid of the <OMOBJ> or if we allow it to appear in more 
> than one place in an OpenMath object.  Previous example is very simplistic 
> and is easy to get things working but in more realistic example is not 
> always easy to get things to work properly.
> 
> So, what I'm asking is either to remove <OMBOJ> 
> <OMA>
>   <OMS cd="arith1" name="plus"/>
>   <OMV name="A"/>
>   <OMV name="B"/>
> </OMA>
> or to allow XML enoced objects like the following:
> <OMOBJ>
> 	<OMA>
>             <OMS cd="arith1" name="plus"/>
>             <OMOBJ>
> 		<OMV name="A"/>
> 	    </OMOBJ>
>             <OMOBJ>
> 		<OMV name="B"/>
> 	    </OMOBJ>
> 	</OMA>
> </OMOBJ>
> I would favor the first "solution". 
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Ernesto Reinaldo Barreiro.
> --
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