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Re: XPath/XSLT 2.0 concerns (off topic)

• To: Deborah Aleyne Lapeyre <dalapeyre@m...>
• Subject: Re: XPath/XSLT 2.0 concerns (off topic)
• From: Uche Ogbuji <uche.ogbuji@f...>
• Date: Sun, 06 Oct 2002 22:59:20 -0600
• Cc: xml-dev@l...
• In-reply-to: Message from Deborah Aleyne Lapeyre <dalapeyre@m...> of "Wed, 02 Oct 2002 21:27:01 EDT." <a05100309b9c1473881ba@[192.168.1.113]>
• Sender: uche.ogbuji@f...

> Jeni said:
> 
> >Actually I think we can break this pattern down into two classes:
> >
> >   1. grouping elements based on their *content* -- in other words, the
> >      *type* hierarchy
> >
> >   2. grouping elements based on their *context* -- in other words, the
>       *substitution group* hierarchy
> 
> >  The current focus in XPath/XQuery is very much on 1 rather than 2.
> 
> Yes, but that has been one of my major objections to W3C XML Schema
> all along. W3C only gave us #1 really and some very crude mechanisms
> for #2. The XPath/XQuery folk are heading in the same direction.
> 
> I've tried to talk to some of the schema folks about the real need for
> "typing" of the second sort and been told (rather snootily) that those
> are "mere usage classes" not proper CS "types".

Whoever told you that did not deserve to pass CS.  I do agree that one of the 
most damaging problems with WXS types and the work that has cascaded from them 
is the terribly narrow perception of what a type is.  I've argues that here 
before.


> But I am an applications
> not a systems person, and in my world, usage grouping, whatever we call it
> is probably the most useful kind of grouping. I truly do not care that
> these "components" all have the same name, or the same model, I care how
> (and where, structurally or semantically) they can be used.

Agreed.  Types are most generally a construct of usage patterns, not fiat.  
Programmers who are so used to having to write

int foo;

Seem to forget that very quickly.


-- 
Uche Ogbuji                                    Fourthought, Inc.
http://uche.ogbuji.net    http://4Suite.org    http://fourthought.com
Apache 2.0 API - http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/library/l-apache/
Python&XML column: Tour of Python/XML - http://www.xml.com/pub/a/2002/09/18/py.
html
Python/Web Services column: xmlrpclib - http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/w
ebservices/library/ws-pyth10.html

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  • Re: XPath/XSLT 2.0 concerns (off topic)
    • From: Deborah Aleyne Lapeyre <dalapeyre@m...>

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