missing type attributes for fields: "variable", "qx", "qy" causing default to incorrect NX_CHAR?

[RussBerg]

when no field type attribute is given the default is NX_CHAR correct? the 3 fields in question do not specify a field type so the result is somewhat ambiguous to me as the default to NX_CHAR types, when it looks like they should be NX_INT or NX_FLOAT.
...

            <field name="variable" axis="1">
              <dimensions rank="1">
                <dim index="1" value="nVars" /></dimensions>
              <attribute name="varied_variable">
                <doc>The real name of the varied variable in the first dim of data, temperature, P, MF etc...</doc></attribute></field>
            <field name="qx" axis="2">
              <doc>Values for the first dimension of Q</doc>
              <dimensions rank="1">
                <dim index="1" value="nQX" /></dimensions></field>
            <field name="qy" axis="3">
              <doc>Values for the second dimension of Q</doc>
              <dimensions rank="1">
                <dim index="1" value="nQY" /></dimensions></field>

[prjemian]

Keep in mind this should be able to describe raw 1-D SAS data.

[rayosborn]

If NeXus does define a default dtype, my guess is that it should be NX_FLOAT. It would make no sense for it to be NX_CHAR, particularly if the field is an array.

[RussBerg]

I base the assumption that the default is NX_CHAR solely on the fact that the documentation for the NXiqproc
https://manual.nexusformat.org/classes/applications/NXiqproc.html#nxiqproc
explicitly says NX_CHAR but the nxdl file does not declare any type so I may be assuming too much?.

[prjemian]

Excuse me, not specifically SAS, but any general $I(Q)$ data.

[prjemian]

The default type, when not specified is NX_CHAR.

[RussBerg]

so Pete then in this case it would make more sense that the variables explicitly specify a type attribute right?

[prjemian]

Like NX_NUMBER?

[RussBerg]

also found similar issue with NXsqom definition where there are fields declared that specify units but will default to type NX_CHAR:

        <doc>Positions for the first dimension of Q</doc>
        <dimensions rank="1">
          <dim index="1" value="nP"/>
        </dimensions>
      </field>
      <field name="qy" axis="1" units="NX_WAVENUMBER">
        <doc>Positions for the the second dimension of Q</doc>
        <dimensions rank="1">
          <dim index="1" value="nP"/>
        </dimensions>
      </field>
      <field name="qz" axis="1" units="NX_WAVENUMBER">
        <doc>Positions for the the third dimension of Q</doc>
        <dimensions rank="1">
          <dim index="1" value="nP"/>
        </dimensions>
      </field>

I propose to add type=NX_NUMBER 

```<field name="qx" axis="1" type="NX_NUMBER" units="NX_WAVENUMBER">
        <doc>Positions for the first dimension of Q</doc>
        <dimensions rank="1">
          <dim index="1" value="nP"/>
        </dimensions>
      </field>
      <field name="qy" axis="1" type="NX_NUMBER" units="NX_WAVENUMBER">
        <doc>Positions for the the second dimension of Q</doc>
        <dimensions rank="1">
          <dim index="1" value="nP"/>
        </dimensions>
      </field>
      <field name="qz" axis="1" type="NX_NUMBER" units="NX_WAVENUMBER">
        <doc>Positions for the the third dimension of Q</doc>
        <dimensions rank="1">
          <dim index="1" value="nP"/>
        </dimensions>
      </field>

[RussBerg]

changes were merged