[oslc-core] Allowed Values in OSLC Shape

[Ian Green1]

The meaning of oslc:allowedValues has not been clearly defined.  For
example, what does this mean:

<oslc:Property>
  <oslc:allowedValue>Cardiff</oslc:allowedValue>
  <oslc:allowedValues
rdf:resource="http://doors.example.com/enumerations/UKCities"/>
</oslc:Property>

where
<oslc:AllowedValues
rdf:about="http://doors.example.com/enumerations/UKCities">
  <oslc:allowedValue>Edinburgh</oslc:allowedValue>
  <oslc:allowedValue>London</oslc:allowedValue>
  <oslc:allowedValue>Belfast</oslc:allowedValue>
</oslc:AllowedValues>

The most obvious interpretation is that the allowable values is the union:
{Edinburgh, Belfast, London, Cardiff}.

Is the cause that AllowedValues resource has dubious meaning and that
multi-valued allowedValue would be clearer, asserted directly on the
oslc:Property.  Reworking this would be a breaking change to the resource
model; but at the least we should give a meaning, or outlaw that
construction altogether.

best wishes,
    -ian

ian.green at uk.ibm.com (Ian Green1/UK/IBM at IBMGB)
Chief Software Architect, Requirements Definition and Management
IBM Rational