Re: TMQL: Minor issue: Plurals for paths

On Fri, Mar 04, 2011 at 10:33:50PM +0100, Lars Heuer wrote:
> While the usage of plurals may match the TMDM properties, TMQL is the
> only path language which uses plural terms and not singular terms for
> paths/axes. Further, it breaks to some extent my way of thinking. I'd
> translate the path expression
> 
> 
>    t/occurrence
> 
> into
> 
>   t/*[. isa occurrence]

> So "t/occurrences" does not match well with the mental
> model. Further, the path names can be reduced a bit.

Well, when things "do not match well existing mental models" this also
could be said about _any_ "progress" :-) The real question is, can a
feature be used robustly and can it add something new[1].

While I have no strong inclinations here, I could think that

    t / occurrences   # list, collection

could mean something different from

    t / occurrence    # pick exactly one

Whether this is useful per se, and/or can be exploited in the TMQL
semantics is a question to resolve.

\rho

[1] Do we still have the general opinion that with TMQL we can win
    over the mainstream programmer? This is post SPARQL 1.1, btw.