Should we rename strings as variables?

[mbakeranalecta]

Strings come up all over the place in the description of the SAM language. Calling the variables strings adds confusion. True, all variables are strings because this is a markup language and everything is a string. But they are also variables.

Actually, because they can contain annotations, they are not pure strings in the string vs markup sense.

[mbakeranalecta]

Just to capture what this would mean.

• In the code and the object model they would be renamed Variable

• In the XML serialization the <string-def tag and stringref attribute would become '<variable-def' and variableref or '<var-def' and varref or <var and 'varref` respectively.

• Docs would change accordingly

• Syntax would not change at all.

[mbakeranalecta]

I think an argument for the change is that the content of a string is actually a flow, not a raw string. So string is a somewhat confusing term. Plus variable may express their use better to the lay audience.

[mbakeranalecta]

Would also avoid possible confusion with the StringSource object in the parser.

[mbakeranalecta]

Implemented in fb3fac73561f535554d9b5b7ce8b4271dd6aed43 Documented in 0b71073284a0e079833263af0c4cadc38595bab7