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Clarify primitive values in an array are nullable #1155

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Clarify primitive values in an array are nullable #1155

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2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion specification/common/common.md
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Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ Attributes are a list of zero or more key-value pairs. An `Attribute` MUST have
- The attribute key, which MUST be a non-`null` and non-empty string.
- The attribute value, which is either:
- A primitive type: string, boolean, double precision floating point (IEEE 754-1985) or signed 64 bit integer.
- An array of primitive type values. The array MUST be homogeneous,
- An array of nullable primitive type values. The array MUST be homogeneous,
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... but I generally feel a primitive type isn't nullable ...

Note that the spec does not take this Java-centric view. "primitive" in this context means merely what is written in the spec:

A primitive type: string, boolean, double precision floating point (IEEE 754-1985) or signed 64 bit integer.

That said, I agree with your clarification, since strictly speaking the current wording is contradicting itself: it prohibits "null" on lines 19-20, then allows "null" on lines 33-39.

I am not sure "nullable" is fully understandable though. Should we be more explicit, e.g.:

An array of primitive type values or null values. The array MUST be homogeneous,
i.e. it MUST NOT contain values of different types. The only allowed exception to this rule is that certain array values may be null, while other values are not null (see more on arrays and nulls below).

i.e. it MUST NOT contain values of different types. For protocols that do
not natively support array values such values SHOULD be represented as JSON strings.

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