Separator Characters

Background

There is an issue as far as long-term consistency for the use of characters to represent logical "AND" and "OR"

This document uses CHOOSE:TEMPLATE (since it doesn't exist) as an example. For additional CHOOSE tokens and proposals, you can see Architecture Changes 5.17

To readers: Please add additional options if you have additional ideas. You may find the Data LST Standards useful to look at reserved characters.

Option #1, Using Pipe as an OR separator, Using Comma as an AND separator

Using Primitives

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|Template1|Template2

...allows a choice of Template1 or Template2

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|TYPE=Foo|!TYPE=Bar

...allows a choice of any Template that is either TYPE=Foo or not TYPE=Bar

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|TYPE=Foo,!TYPE=Bar

...allows a choice of any Template that is both TYPE=Foo and not TYPE=Bar

Using Single a Qualifier

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|PC[TYPE=Foo|!TYPE=Bar]

...allows a choice of any Template that the character already has, where the Template is either TYPE=Foo or not TYPE=Bar

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|PC[TYPE=Foo,!TYPE=Bar]

...allows a choice of any Template that the character already has, where the Template is both TYPE=Foo and not TYPE=Bar

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|PC[TYPE=Foo,!TYPE=Bar|TYPE=Goo]

...allows a choice of any Template that the character already has, where the Template is (a) both TYPE=Foo and not TYPE=Bar OR (b) TYPE=Goo

Using Multiple Qualifiers

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|PC[TYPE=Foo|!TYPE=Bar]|QUALIFIED[TYPE=Goo]

...allows a choice of (a) Any Template that the character already has, where the Template is either TYPE=Foo or not TYPE=Bar OR (b) Any Template the PC is qualified to take that is TYPE=Goo

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|PC[TYPE=Foo,!TYPE=Bar],QUALIFIED[TYPE=Goo]

...allows a choice of: (a) Any Template that the character already has, where the Template is both TYPE=Foo and not TYPE=Bar AND (b) Any Template the PC is qualified to take that is TYPE=Goo

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|PC[TYPE=Foo,!TYPE=Bar|TYPE=Goo]|QUALIFIED,!PC

...allows a choice of: (a) Any Template that the character already has, where the Template is (a1) both TYPE=Foo and not TYPE=Bar OR (a2) TYPE=Goo OR (b) Any Template that the PC is qualified to take, but has not yet taken.

Discussion

• Note that this is the existing syntax used in the CHOOSE proposals as they are shown on the Wiki. [TRP]
• Showing this syntax to a few non coders it definitely wasn't instinctively clear that ',' was an AND symbol. However, '|' was instinctively picked up as an OR symbol karianna 18:59, 1 April 2009 (CEST)

Insert comments on option #1 here.

Option #2, Using Comma as an OR separator, Using Ampersand as an AND separator

Using Primitives

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|Template1,Template2

...allows a choice of Template1 or Template2

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|TYPE=Foo,!TYPE=Bar

...allows a choice of any Template that is either TYPE=Foo or not TYPE=Bar

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|TYPE=Foo&!TYPE=Bar

...allows a choice of any Template that is both TYPE=Foo and not TYPE=Bar

Using Single a Qualifier

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|PC[TYPE=Foo,!TYPE=Bar]

...allows a choice of any Template that the character already has, where the Template is either TYPE=Foo or not TYPE=Bar

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|PC[TYPE=Foo&!TYPE=Bar]

...allows a choice of any Template that the character already has, where the Template is both TYPE=Foo and not TYPE=Bar

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|PC[TYPE=Foo&!TYPE=Bar,TYPE=Goo]

...allows a choice of any Template that the character already has, where the Template is (a) both TYPE=Foo and not TYPE=Bar OR (b) TYPE=Goo

Using Multiple Qualifiers

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|PC[TYPE=Foo,!TYPE=Bar],QUALIFIED[TYPE=Goo]

...allows a choice of (a) Any Template that the character already has, where the Template is either TYPE=Foo or not TYPE=Bar OR (b) Any Template the PC is qualified to take that is TYPE=Goo

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|PC[TYPE=Foo&!TYPE=Bar]&QUALIFIED[TYPE=Goo]

...allows a choice of: (a) Any Template that the character already has, where the Template is both TYPE=Foo and not TYPE=Bar AND (b) Any Template the PC is qualified to take that is TYPE=Goo

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|PC[TYPE=Foo&!TYPE=Bar,TYPE=Goo],QUALIFIED&!PC

...allows a choice of: (a) Any Template that the character already has, where the Template is (a1) both TYPE=Foo and not TYPE=Bar OR (a2) TYPE=Goo OR (b) Any Template that the PC is qualified to take, but has not yet taken.

Discussion

• I think this is a problem, as ampersand is not a reserved character in PCGen. This is used in actual data that we ship, and thus we would expect homebrews to feel this character is also legal. Therefore, in order to implement this properly, we end up having to have a Data Converter, as this will break existing PCs. (which is the open FREQ, not the item completed for 5.16). While I think this is a nice idea, I think the hurdle is too large to do this quickly. [TRP]

Insert other comments on option #2 here.

Option #3, Using <OR> as an OR separator, Using <AND> as an AND separator

Using Primitives

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|Template1<OR>Template2

...allows a choice of Template1 or Template2

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|TYPE=Foo<OR>!TYPE=Bar

...allows a choice of any Template that is either TYPE=Foo or not TYPE=Bar

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|TYPE=Foo<AND>!TYPE=Bar

...allows a choice of any Template that is both TYPE=Foo and not TYPE=Bar

Using Single a Qualifier

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|PC[TYPE=Foo<OR>!TYPE=Bar]

...allows a choice of any Template that the character already has, where the Template is either TYPE=Foo or not TYPE=Bar

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|PC[TYPE=Foo<AND>!TYPE=Bar]

...allows a choice of any Template that the character already has, where the Template is both TYPE=Foo and not TYPE=Bar

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|PC[TYPE=Foo<AND>!TYPE=Bar<OR>TYPE=Goo]

...allows a choice of any Template that the character already has, where the Template is (a) both TYPE=Foo and not TYPE=Bar OR (b) TYPE=Goo

Using Multiple Qualifiers

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|PC[TYPE=Foo<OR>!TYPE=Bar]<OR>QUALIFIED[TYPE=Goo]

...allows a choice of (a) Any Template that the character already has, where the Template is either TYPE=Foo or not TYPE=Bar OR (b) Any Template the PC is qualified to take that is TYPE=Goo

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|PC[TYPE=Foo<AND>!TYPE=Bar]<AND>QUALIFIED[TYPE=Goo]

...allows a choice of: (a) Any Template that the character already has, where the Template is both TYPE=Foo and not TYPE=Bar AND (b) Any Template the PC is qualified to take that is TYPE=Goo

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|PC[TYPE=Foo<AND>!TYPE=Bar<OR>TYPE=Goo]<OR>QUALIFIED<AND>!PC

...allows a choice of: (a) Any Template that the character already has, where the Template is (a1) both TYPE=Foo and not TYPE=Bar OR (a2) TYPE=Goo OR (b) Any Template that the PC is qualified to take, but has not yet taken.

Discussion

• I Have a similar concern here to option #2, as we have not reserved < or > as restricted characters. < and > are used in actual data that we ship, and thus we would expect homebrews to feel this character is also legal. There is less risk of using (literally) <OR> or <AND>, which makes this somewhat safer than option #2. However, this does introduce restrictions on data naming. In order to implement this without risk, we end up having to have a Data Converter, as this will break existing PCs. (which is the open FREQ, not the item completed for 5.16). I think the hurdle is too large to do the FREQ converter quickly. [TRP]

• Do the characters '<' and '>' matter? Are there other characters that can't be used in a key name that can be used for identifying a logical operator? What about '$'? Are there any characters that we cannot use whatsoever for this? --Fluxxdog 04:03, 1 April 2009 (CEST)

• [nuance] LST files are UTF8, so theoretically we can use any unicode character. The problem with that is editor support—which it has to be said is getting better all the time. Since full unicde may be a bit of a shock , iso-8859-1 (latin 1) has « and » (alt0171 and alt0187 respectively). It also has ¿ (alt0191) which ties up nicely with ? if was want to wrap words.

grabbing a random example:

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|PC[TYPE=Foo«AND»!TYPE=Bar«OR»TYPE=Goo]«OR»QUALIFIED«AND»!PC

I think the lower case version stands out better.

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|PC[TYPE=Foo«and»!TYPE=Bar«or»TYPE=Goo]«or»QUALIFIED«and»!PC

Of course, fully in the realm of unicode madness, we could always use ∧ for and, and ∨ for or, but the data folk might shoot us :-). Actually we could consider ^ to mean and, paired with |

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|PC[TYPE=Foo^!TYPE=Bar|TYPE=Goo]|QUALIFIED^!PC

...allows a choice of:

(a) Any Template that the character already has, where the Template is (a1) both TYPE=Foo and not TYPE=Bar OR (a2) TYPE=Goo

OR

(b) Any Template that the PC is qualified to take, but has not yet taken.

I think I prefer the last one, but I don't like the way | looks aginst ]. On this wiki ! is hard to distimguish from |, ¬ (shift ` on my keyboard) actually means not. I think using « and » in place of [ and ], and ¬ for not

CHOOSE:TEMPLATE|PC«TYPE=Foo^¬TYPE=Bar|TYPE=Goo»|QUALIFIED^¬PC

is easier to read but that might be a bit radical. Perhaps it's time we has that full reserved characters discussion.

Insert comments on option #3 here.