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Parameter entity reference error with expat

• From: Steve Harris <sharris@p...>
• To: "'xml-dev@i...'" <xml-dev@i...>
• Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 17:57:31 -0700

I'm working out a small DTD by inlining it with some sample data. It
uses a single internal parameter entity and refers to the entity twice
in the DTD. Emacs's 'psgml' seems to validate and do all the
substitutions as expected. If I run the file through expat, though, it
reports the following error:
	illegal parameter entity reference

My understanding of the spec. is that a non-validating parser does not
have to expand an external entity, and I could understand that behavior
being applied here, but is it truly 'illegal' to use a parameter entity
reference in this fashion?

Here's a snippet of problematic file:

__BEGIN
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8">
<!DOCTYPE options [
  <!-- the whole document -->
  <!ELEMENT	options		(head?, macro*)>
  <!ELEMENT	head		ANY>
  <!ELEMENT	app-name	(#PCDATA)>
  <!ELEMENT	version		EMPTY>
  <!ATTLIST	version
			major		CDATA		#REQUIRED
			minor		CDATA		#REQUIRED>
  <!ELEMENT	macro		(flag|arg)+>
  <!ATTLIST	macro
			id			ID
#REQUIRED
			argc		CDATA		"0">

  <!-- shared attributes for certain macro sub-elements -->
  <!ENTITY % entry-atts
			'name		CDATA		#REQUIRED
			presence	(inc|exc)	"inc"'>

  <!ELEMENT	flag		EMPTY>
  <!ATTLIST	flag
			%entry-atts;> <!-- ** expat quits here ** -->
  <!ELEMENT	arg			(#PCDATA)>
  <!ATTLIST	arg
			%entry-atts;>
]>
<options>
...
</options>
__END

Note that the ATTLISTs for entities 'flag' and 'arg' attempt to expand
an entity called 'entry-atts', for which expat reports an error. I'd
appreciate any assistance in interpreting the spec. here. Is expat doing
the right thing?

Thanks,


Steven Harris
Software Engineer
Primus Knowledge Solutions

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