EXPRESS 1.0b2 FTF Avatar
  1. OMG Issue

EXPRESS — Choose a term for "referent" of VARExpression

  • Key: EXPRESS-5
  • Legacy Issue Number: 13712
  • Status: closed  
  • Source: Thematix Partners LLC ( Mr. Edward J. Barkmeyer)
  • Summary:

    In 13.10 VARExpressions, there does not seem to be a consistent term for the "referent" of a VAR-expression, what EXPRESS calls a "variable" and C calls an "lvalue" - an identifiable place that holds a value. It is the analog to the "evaluation" of an Expression, which is an Instance. In the metamodel, the term Variable here seems to have a more restricted meaning, and the term "referent" is used in multiple ways, most egregiously in the definition of AliasRef:refers-to. Some term should be chosen and used consistently for this purpose, and any conflicting use in the metamodel should be renamed. It appears that the term being used in this section (only) is "Cell". For consistency with Part 11, the term should be "Variable", but using that term might also be confusing.

  • Reported: EXPRESS 1.0b1 — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 04:00 GMT
  • Disposition: Resolved — EXPRESS 1.0b2
  • Disposition Summary:

    There is no inconsistency in the use of "referent"; the inconsistency is in the term for the thing that is a "referent" - "object", "place", "variable", "cell", etc. All of these will be changed to "cell".
    AliasRef:refers-to can be changed to "referent", although the text is clear that the referent of the AliasRef is self->refers-to->referent, and the "refers-to" contrasts with VariableCell:referent.

  • Updated: Fri, 6 Mar 2015 20:58 GMT