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RE: "XML is just syntax" versus "Use semantic markup" (Is thi

• From: "Michael Kay" <mike@s...>
• To: "'Rick Jelliffe'" <rjelliffe@a...>,"'XML Developers List'" <xml-dev@l...>
• Date: Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:04:52 -0000

> All computers can do is play with symbols: labels and pointers.

Indeed. And I think the answer to Roger's "paradox" is that different layers
of the system play different games with the same symbols.

At the XML level (level 6) <div> is just "an element named div". At the next
layer up (layer 7) it might trigger the action "start a new section" or
"perform a division". Some people might like to speak as if <div> actually
*means* "start a new section" or "perform a division": that is, that it has
semantics. I much prefer Rick's terminology - these are simply games that
particular pieces of software play when they see this element.

Michael Kay
http://www.saxonica.com/

• References:
  • "XML is just syntax" versus "Use semantic markup" (Is this a paradox?)
    • From: "Costello, Roger L." <costello@m...>
  • Re: "XML is just syntax" versus "Use semantic markup" (Is this a paradox?)
    • From: Rick Jelliffe <rjelliffe@a...>