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Re: ANN: xpath1() scheme for XPointer

• To: michael.h.kay@n...
• Subject: Re: ANN: xpath1() scheme for XPointer
• From: Uche Ogbuji <uche.ogbuji@f...>
• Date: Mon, 28 Oct 2002 17:55:49 -0700
• Cc: "'Elliotte Rusty Harold'" <elharo@m...>, "'Uche Ogbuji'" <uche.ogbuji@f...>, xml-dev@l...
• In-reply-to: Message from "Michael Kay" <michael.h.kay@n...> of "Mon, 28 Oct 2002 18:18:14 GMT." <002501c27eae$61676310$6401a8c0@pcukmka>
• Sender: uche.ogbuji@f...

> > OK, since you asked for it, here are some of the sections of XPath 
> > and XSLT specs which I think only make sense if you understand the 
> > input tree to have a direct connection to the actual XML document:
> 
> 
> Perhaps I should ask for a vote: do people on this list prefer the
> simple 3-page James Clark description of the XPath 1.0 data model, with
> all these inherent ambiguities, or the complex 30-page committee-written
> description of the XPath 2.0 data model, which attempts to eliminate all
> such ambiguities by diving into layers of abstraction and formalism?

I don't see how resolving the current debate would add so much to JC's 
description.  All it would take is an explicit sentence that the XML document 
being described can come from any source consistent with XML 1.0, whether 
serialized or not.  Or, if it were to adopt ERH's POV, it would say that the 
only valid source is a serialized document.  (ERH protests that he doesn't 
mind options, but that contradicts his exegeses  of the current spec, which do 
not seem to admit even optional post-parse processing).

Also, my guess is that even with the XPath 2.0 description, that there would 
still be room for such debates, if with different particulars.  The difference 
would be that the cost would be a great deal more to be an effective language 
lawyer.  This would not be progress to my mind.

> I get the impression you lot can't make your minds up.

You mean that you had the anticipation that everyone would agree on such a 
matter?  Why would you anticipate such a thing?


-- 
Uche Ogbuji                                    Fourthought, Inc.
http://uche.ogbuji.net    http://4Suite.org    http://fourthought.com
Python&XML column: 2. Introducing PyXML - http://www.xml.com/pub/a/2002/09/25/py.html
The Past, Present and Future of Web Services 1 - http://www.webservices.org/index.php/article/articleview/663/1/24/
The Past, Present and Future of Web Services 2 - 'http://www.webservices.org/index.php/article/articleview/679/1/24/
Serenity through markup - http://adtmag.com/article.asp?id=6807
Tip: Using generators for XML processing - http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/x-tipgenr.html

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