IDL 4.3 RTF Avatar
  1. OMG Issue

IDL43 — Specify where annotations can be applied

  • Key: IDL43-27
  • Status: open  
  • Source: Object Computing, Inc. - OCI ( Mr. Adam Mitz)
  • Summary:

    IDL 4.0 contained specific grammar rules for where annotations can be applied. Issue IDL41-9 revised these rules and left the spec with the general statement that (7.4.15.4.2): "An annotation may be applied to any IDL constructs or sub-constructs."

    This is problematic for the following reasons:

    • The phrase "under annotation" is used in multiple places in the spec without it being defined
    • Tool implementors using a grammar based on the one in the spec need to make their own enhanced grammar to include <annotation_appl>, which undermines the usefulness of having a grammar in the spec
    • Documentation of specific annotations (whether standardized in IDL, standardized in other OMG documents such as XTYPES, or non-standard) has no systemic way of describing where the annotation should be used
    • Users have little assurance that their IDL will be understood by all conforming tools, even when using standardized annotations
  • Reported: IDL 4.2 — Wed, 5 Dec 2018 16:43 GMT
  • Updated: Wed, 29 Sep 2021 16:32 GMT