[tmql-wg] Error conditions

[Lars Marius Garshol]

* Robert Barta
>
> OK, one other issue is whether TMQL should specify the possible error
> conditions or whether it should leave everything to the  
> implementation.

There are two possible interpretations of this:

  (1) Should TMQL specify unambiguously which queries are erroneous?
  (2) Should TMQL name all defined error situations?

By our requirements we have to do (1), so I assume that's not what  
you mean.

>    From a language perspective this is not necessary, but OTOH, it
>    impedes compatibility between TMQL processors as one application
>    has to expect potentially different sets of exceptions.

Well. What good is a TMQL API that only standardizes the exception  
classes and nothing else? That's effectively what this is.

>    Structured Discussion
>
>       ? Should the TMQL standard name all error situations
>         + higher compatibility between TMQL implementation
>         - less freedom for implementors

I think that doing this

  - adds a lot of effort to specifying the language,
  - causes problems for implementors, because error situations tend to
    be highly dependent on implementation strategy, and
  - adds no tangible value.

In short, I'm strongly in disfavour of this.

--Lars M.