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RE: The less abstract Infoset

• From: Paul Grosso <pgrosso@a...>
• To: xml-dev@l...
• Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2001 11:30:19 -0600

At 21:11 2001 03 09 -0500, Jonathan Borden wrote:
>Jeff Rafter wrote:
>> Thanks for the reply.  Suddenly my question seems rather naive.  I am
>> wondering though, are these implementations of the Infoset or do
>> the simply
>> make use of the Infoset?
>
>The question is not naive at all. You *are* persisting in trying to make an
>API out of the Infoset which is fine, except that it is still an API derived
>from the Infoset. For example, substitute the Infoset's "InformationItem"
>with the DOM's "Node" and see that the DOM (in an idealized fashion) really
>is an implementation of the Infoset.

I don't mean to get picky about the meaning of words such as
"API" or "implement," but when such words are used with respect 
to the Infoset, I get nervous that some people's expectations may
not match those of the developers of the Infoset spec.

If you are interested in this, please read the lastest Infoset
Working Draft [1], especially the Introduction [2] where it 
explains:

  This specification defines an abstract data set called the
  XML Information Set (Infoset). Its purpose is to provide a
  consistent set of definitions for use in other specifications
  that need to refer to the information in a well-formed XML
  document [XML]. 

  It does not attempt to be exhaustive; the primary criterion
  for inclusion of an information item or property has been
  that of expected usefulness in future specifications. 

(The Last Call period for comments has ended, but since this
is still at the Working Draft stage, comments can always be
sent to the public mailing list www-xml-infoset-comments@w...,
archived at
  http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-xml-infoset-comments/ .
If you do look at this Last Call draft, you should be aware that,
in the processing of comments, the WG has decided to remove cdata
section and entity start/end markers, and there will also be several
more minor changes between the current draft and the next one.)

We sometimes call the Infoset a "library of definitions" for
use by other specifications.  As such, speaking of an "infoset
implementation" makes no sense.  I don't have a problem with
people using the phrase "infoset implementation" informally as 
a short hand for meaning something else (though I'm not sure
myself just what it would mean), but I don't want people thinking
that the Infoset is something that it is not, only to be surprised 
or disappointed at a later date.

paul

[1] http://www.w3.org/TR/xml-infoset/
[2] http://www.w3.org/TR/xml-infoset/#intro

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