[DDI-users] DDI 3.2: optional xml:lang attribute in StringType

[Jani Hautamäki]

In DDI-Lifecycle 3.2 all elements which are instances of

{ddi:reusable:3_2}InternationalStringType

must have one or more <r:String> elements.
The field-level specification for InternationalStringType

http://www.ddialliance.org/Specification/DDI-Lifecycle/3.2/XMLSchema/FieldLevelDocumentation/schemas/reusable_xsd/complexTypes/StringType.html

states that

"Allows for non-formatted strings that may be translations
from other languages, or that may be translatable into
other languages. Only one string per language/location type
is allowed. String contains the following attributes,
xml:lang to designate the language, [...]"

However, the XML Schema for DDI-Lifecycle 3.2 allows
the elements of r:InternationalStringType to have multiple <r:String>
children without any xml:lang attributes designating language/country/etc.

For instance, the following XML document is VALID
with respect to DDI-Lifecycle 3.2 XML Schema,

---8<---8<---8<---
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<ddi:DDIInstance
    xmlns:ddi="ddi:instance:3_2"
    xmlns:r="ddi:reusable:3_2"
    xmlns:s="ddi:studyunit:3_2"
    >

  <r:Agency>acme.org</r:Agency>
  <r:ID>ddi_instance</r:ID>
  <r:Version>1</r:Version>
  <r:URN>urn:ddi:acme.org:another_ddi_instance:1</r:URN>

  <s:StudyUnit>
    <r:Agency>acme.org</r:Agency>
    <r:ID>study_unit</r:ID>
    <r:Version>1</r:Version>

    <r:Citation>
      <r:Title>
        <!-- Use of @xml:lang is optional -->
        <r:String>voisi olla suomeksi</r:String>
        <r:String>could be in english too</r:String>
      </r:Title>
    </r:Citation>

  </s:StudyUnit>
</ddi:DDIInstance>
---8<---8<---8<---

In the document above, the <r:Title> has two <r:String> elements,
both in different language, but without any xml:lang attributes,
sinsce the XML Schema does not require it.

My question is then:

Is it a bug in the XML Schema of r:InternationalStringType
that it allows instances of <r:String> without xml:lang attribute?

If not, which language/country should be assumed for such an element?
Futhermore, when there are two or more <r:String> elements
without the xml:lang attribute, which one of them should be used?

It is possible to force xml:lang attribute for r:StringType.
However, in my opinion, it might be more desirable to simply

use attribute "lang"  instead "xml:lang" for that purpose...

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