Names

In the Erbsland Configuration Language, names are essential for identifying values, sections, and subsections within a configuration. There are two types of names used:

1. Regular names (or simply names): These are primarily used throughout the configuration to define sections and values.

2. Text names: These are reserved for special cases where a portion of text needs to be directly mapped to a configuration section or value.

Name Definition

Names are defined by a sequence of alphanumeric characters, with optional spaces or underscores to separate words.

name                ::= ALPHA DIGIT_OR_ALPHA* name_part*
name_part           ::= word_separator DIGIT_OR_ALPHA+
word_separator      ::= SPACE | UNDERSCORE

Rules

1. Characters: Names can contain letters (a – z, A – Z), digits (0 – 9), spaces ( ), and underscores (_).

   Valid names:            Name
                           multiple_words
                           Multiple Words
                           Name123
                           Value 200
                           X_Axis
   

2. Starting Character: Names must always begin with a letter.

   100days                 # ERROR! Starts with a digit.
   _example                # ERROR! Starts with an underscore.
   

3. Case-Insensitive: Names are case-insensitive.

   Three identical names:  Example_Name
                           example_name
                           EXAMPLE_NAME
   

4. Spaces and Underscores are Interchangeable: A name can be written with spaces or underscores, and they are treated the same.

   Three identical names:  one_long_name
                           One Long Name
                           one_long NAME
   

5. No Consecutive Word Separators: Names cannot contain consecutive underscores or multiple spaces in a row.

   example__name           # ERROR! Multiple underscores aren't allowed.
   Example  Name           # ERROR! Multiple spaces aren't allowed.
   example _name           # ERROR! Mixing spaces and underscores makes no difference.
   

6. No Trailing Underscores: Names must not end with an underscore.

   example_                # ERROR! Must not end with an underscore.
   

7. Maximum Length: Names must not exceed 100 characters in length.

   abc(+200 chars)xyz      # ERROR! Exceeds the maximum length of 100 characters.
   

   Micro-Parsers

   The maximum length of a name is 30 characters.

Name Normalization

When normalizing a name, the following two rules are applied:

1. Convert to Underscores: Replace all spaces ( ) with underscores (_).

   Name with Spaces                  => name_with_spaces
   

2. Convert to Lowercase: Convert all uppercase letters (A – Z) to lowercase (a – z).

   EXAMPLE                           => example
   Multiple_Words                    => multiple_words
   

Name Comparison

Name comparison is crucial for identifying sections and values using name paths and for detecting name conflicts. The following rules apply when comparing names:

1. Normalize Regular Names for Comparison: Regular names must be compared using their normalized form. For details on normalization, refer to Name Normalization.

   EXAMPLE               == example
   Example               == example
   eXaMpLe               == example
   Name with Words       == name_with_words
   Name_with_Words       == name_with_words
   

For the comparison of text names, see Text Name Comparison in the next chapter.

Features

Feature	Coverage
core	Regular names are part of the core language.
text-names	Text names are a standard feature.

Errors

Error Code	Causes
Syntax	Raised if a name starts with an underscore or a digit. Raised if a name ends with an underscore. Raised if a name contains consecutive underscores or spaces.
NameConflict	Raised if an already used name is reused.
LimitExceeded	Raised if a name exceeds the 100-character limit.