Issue 18802: Clarification of use of BNF for textual notations (uml25-ftf)
Source: Ivar Jacobson International AB (Mr. Ed Seidewitz, eseidewitz(at)ivarjacobson.com)
Nature: Clarification
Severity: 
Summary: In a number of places, the UML specification uses BNF to specify textual notations. However, as for all UML surface syntax, UML textual notations are generally for presentation. There is no requirement that such notations be unambiguously parsable – for example, a modeler may use arbitrary characters like “/” and “:” in a property name, even though these are used as special punctuation in the BNF for property textual notation. This can be confusing to some readers, since BNF is commonly used to specify parsable programming language text. Therefore, it may be worth providing a general clarification of this up front, perhaps in Clause 6 of the specification.

Resolution: 
Revised Text: 
Actions taken:
July 9, 2013: received issue
Discussion: 

End of Annotations:=====
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From: Ed Seidewitz <eseidewitz@ivarjacobson.com>
To: "issues@omg.org" <issues@omg.org>
CC: "uml25-ftf@omg.org" <uml25-ftf@omg.org>
Subject: Clarification of use of BNF for textual notations
Thread-Topic: Clarification of use of BNF for textual notations
Thread-Index: Ac58x0xeWBl6pA8vQDSNud2T4H9OEA==
Date: Tue, 9 Jul 2013 17:43:11 +0000
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In a number of places, the UML specification uses BNF to specify textual notations. However, as for all UML surface syntax, UML textual notations are generally for presentation. There is no requirement that such notations be unambiguously parsable . for example, a modeler may use arbitrary characters like ./. and .:. in a property name, even though these are used as special punctuation in the BNF for property textual notation. This can be confusing to some readers, since BNF is commonly used to specify parsable programming language text. Therefore, it may be worth providing a general clarification of this up front, perhaps in Clause 6 of the specification.