[X3D-Public] requiring name field in X3D metadata nodes?

[Don Brutzman]

Wondering if we should require that a Metadata node, if specified, should require a value in the name attribute.

The specification is ambiguous about this, stating that the reference field is optional but not the name field.  It further defines semantics for the name field.

The name field is not required in X3D DTD or Schema checks.  I am adjusting the X3D Schematron to report a warning when it is missing.

Metadata nodes without name fields are hard to search and are themselves semantically ambiguous.   Looking forward to CAD and Medical uses of Metadata nodes, it might be better to require definition of a name value.  Opinions welcome.


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Extensible 3D (X3D), ISO/IEC 19775-1:2008, 7 Core component
http://www.web3d.org/files/specifications/19775-1/V3.3/Part01/components/core.html#X3DMetadataObject


    7.3.4 /X3DMetadataObject/

X3DMetadataObject {
   SFString [in,out] name      ""
   SFString [in,out] reference ""
}

This abstract interface is the basis for all metadata nodes. The interface is inherited by all metadata nodes.

The specification of the /reference/ field is optional. If provided, it identifies the metadata standard or other specification that defines the /name/ field. If the /reference/ field is not provided or is empty, the meaning of the /name/ field is considered implicit to the characters in the string.


all the best, Don
-- 
Don Brutzman  Naval Postgraduate School, Code USW/Br       brutzman at nps.edu
Watkins 270,  MOVES Institute, Monterey CA 93943-5000 USA   +1.831.656.2149
X3D graphics, virtual worlds, navy robotics http://faculty.nps.edu/brutzman