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Date: Thu, 17 Jun 1999 15:54:09 -0500
To: Linda Stanberry <linda@XXXXXXXXXXX>
From: William Gropp <gropp@XXXXXXXXXXX>
Subject: Re: Request for interpretation
Cc: mpi-core@XXXXXXXXXXX,bcarnes@XXXXXXXX,hedges1@XXXXXXXX,In-Reply-To: <199906172037.NAA24257@XXXXXXXXXXX>
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At 01:37 PM 6/17/99 -0700, Linda Stanberry wrote:
>I have a question about the interpretation of the wording in Section 4.10, 
>Info objects.  The first paragraph describes these objects and indicates
>that they are used by many of the routines in MPI-2.  So how do we 
>interpret the first sentence of the second paragraph:
>
>	If a function does not recognize a key, it will ignore it, unless
>	otherwise specified.
>
>Does this mean that MPI_INFO_SET may ignore (i.e., refuse to add) a key
>if the key given is not recognized by any of the MPI-2 functions in this
>implementation?
>
>Or does it mean that an MPI-2 function that takes an Info object as an
>argument (e.g, MPI_FILE_OPEN or MPI_COMM_SPAWN) will ignore any key in
>the object that is not recognized for this function in this implementation?

I certainly interpreted that sentance as refering to the routines that take
an info object as an argument.  And since much of the "external interfaces"
section was added explicitly to enable a layered implementation of
components like the I/O part of MPI, I believe that the spirit of the
standard supports that view.  But you are correct, this requires a
clarification.  I propose that that sentance not apply to the MPI_Info_xxx
routines.

Bill