<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><b>Open Grid Forum: Data Format Description
Language Working Group</b></font>
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<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><b>Weekly Working Group Conference Call</b></font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><b>17:00 GMT, 28 Nov 2007</b></font>
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<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><b>Attendees</b></font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Mike Beckerle (IBM)</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Geoff Judd (IBM)</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Steve Hanson (IBM)</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Ian Parkinson (IBM)</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Alan Powell (IBM)</font>
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<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><b>1. Introduction</b></font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">The agenda, distributed by Mike prior
to the call, covered two main items for discussion.</font>
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<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">A proposal has been circulated to the
DFDL-WG mailing list, describing the use of annotated simple types for
describing length prefixes, which had already been discussed within IBM.
In the absense of Simon Parker or representatives from parties other than
IBM, the meeting opted not to discuss this proposal at this time.</font>
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<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><b>2. Plan for contents of next draft</b></font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">The distributed agenda included a draft
list of items to be included in the next draft of the DFDL specification.
Steve queried the 'integer type added' item: Mike explained there had been
a debate over support for both the integer XSD type and the decimal type.
We had previously opted to support both, as the canonical representation
for decimal includes a trailing ".0" on integers, which may be
confusing for users.</font>
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<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Mike would like to prepare, along similar
lines, a plan covering several draft versions of the specification. Some
work items, such as the SWIFT example, would be omitted from the plan as
they do not directly concern the text of the specification. Mike's plan
will be distributed via the DFDL-WG mailing list.</font>
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<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Alan asked if we should set a target
date for completion of the specification. Mike observed that we had previously
set target dates that had not been achieved; however Steve felt that as
we are in a position to plan the next few drafts of the specification,
a target date is likely to be more reasonable.</font>
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<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><b>3. Other business</b></font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Steve has been revisiting the decimal
supplement, and has found some errors. Mike observed that it would be desirable
for DFDL's support of packed decimal numbers and floating point numbers
to be analogous. One complexity lies in the number of types of packed decimal
that DFDL needs to support (including 'pure', unsigned packed, IBM packed,
and zoned decimal), along with variants, which Mike felt might best be
addressed through a small pattern language. Steve would investigate this
further.</font>
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<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><b>Meeting closed, 17:30 GMT</b></font>
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<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><br>
Ian Parkinson<br>
WebSphere ESB Development<br>
Mail Point 211, Hursley Park, Hursley, Winchester, SO21 2JN, UK</font><font size=3 face="sans-serif"><br>
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