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  1. OMG Issue

DMNFTF — Shorthand notation for vertical tables needs clarification/correction

  • Key: DMNFTF-53
  • Status: closed  
  • Source: Oracle ( Gary Hallmark)
  • Summary:

    This section raises a few related issues, listed below:

    1. In Fig 35, the labels 'output entry a', 'output entry b', 'output entry c' should instead be 'output value 1a', 'output value 1b', 'output value 1c'
    2. It is misleading that the column with optional input/output values in Fig 36 is dropped in Fig 35. This column is optional independent of whether or not the 'shorthand' is employed. I think it should be possible to use the shorthand and also display the allowed values for the inputs (e.g. input value 1a, ...), but this might look ugly. Either way, we need to specify this clearly.
    3. Why call this format a 'shorthand'? It is really limited-entry outputs. Whether or not it is 'shorter' depends on application values. It is curious that we previously (in 8.2.8) dismiss limited-entry inputs as not interesting. It seems no more or less interesting than limited-entry outputs.
    4. The metamodel has no attributes that distinguish whether or not to use the shorthand. So whereas we interchange a DT's orientation, we do not interchange whether to use 'shorthand' output entries or not.
    5. Because the metamodel uses a Clause for both inputs and outputs, we could add a boolean 'limitedEntry' attribute to Clause and thereby support limited entry inputs and outputs. There is something appealing about supporting limited entry for both inputs and outputs, or for neither.
    6. Limited entry seems to work for both horizontal and vertical orientation. Why limit to vertical?
    7. There is nothing that states that every rule must have exactly 1 'X' in its limited output entry cells. I think we must say that, in Fig 35, 'output entry 1a' is the column of 3 cells containing, from top to bottom, 'X', '-', '-'. The constraint is that exactly 1 of the output entry's cells must contain an 'X', and the others must contain a '-'.
    8. Why use '-' instead of a blank cell? '-' means something different in input entries.
  • Reported: DMN 1.0b1 — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 23:36 GMT
  • Disposition: Resolved — DMN 1.0
  • Disposition Summary:

    Clarify shorthand notation for vertical tables with revised text and figures.

  • Updated: Tue, 21 Apr 2015 01:19 GMT
  • Attachments: