Data Format Description Language (DFDL) v1.0 Specification
OGF Proposed Recommendation GFD-P-R.174, January 31, 2011


10. Core Representation Properties and their Format Semantics

The next sections specify the core set of DFDL v1.0 properties that may be used in DFDL annotations in DFDL Schemas to describe data formats.

It is a schema definition error when a DFDL schema does not contain a definition for a representation property that is needed to interpret the data. For example, a DFDL schema containing any textual data must provide a definition of the character set 'encoding' property for that textual data, and if it is not part of the format properties context for that data, then it is a schema definition error.

Furthermore, no default values are provided for representation properties as built-in definitions by any DFDL processor. This requires DFDL schemas to be explicit about the representation properties of the data they describe, and avoids any possibility of DFDL schemas that are meaningful for some DFDL processors but not others.

The properties are organized as follows:

Where properties are specific to a physical representation, the property name may choose to reflect this. Where properties are related to a specific logical type grouping (defined below), the property name may choose to reflect this.

A limited number of properties can take a DFDL expression which must return a value of the type required for the property. Those properties that take an expression explicitly state in the description. Other properties do not take an expression.

The property description defines which schema component that the property may be specified on. In addition all the DFDL properties may be specified on a dfdl:format annotation.


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