[aprssig] spaces in object names

[Pete Loveall AE5PL Lists]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Randy Love
> Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 7:27 PM
> 
> Honestly, I think the ambiguity of embedded spaces only comes when a
> user's software modifies a field to collapse spaces.

I agree.  Either you allow embedded spaces per the spec or you don't.  You don't mangle someone else's work (in this case, Object names) because you think someone might mistype one space instead of 2.

I have a similar background, Randy, working with databases from multiple sources and there have always been certain rules that had to be adhered to across domains.  One was never, ever alter field content.  If that field allows for trimming leading/trailing spaces (dependent on the vendor specification), then that should be done.  But never alter the internal field with "internal" being defined by the vendor.  In this case (assuming as most authors have that the Object name is left-justified and is right-padded with spaces which may be ignored (trimmed) for processing), the internal structure is between the first character and the last non-space character (if we are going with this definition of "internal structure").  Altering that part (between the first character and the last non-space character) in any other way only adds ambiguity, IMO.

73,

Pete Loveall AE5PL
pete at ae5pl dot net