[XML-DEV Mailing List Archive Home] [By Thread] [By Date] [Recent Entries] [Reply To This Message]

Re: Why the Infoset?

  • From: Jonathan Borden <jborden@m...>
  • To: John Cowan <jcowan@r...>, xml-dev@x...
  • Date: Thu, 03 Aug 2000 16:46:57 -0400

Re: Why the Infoset?
John Cowan wrote:

> Jonathan Borden wrote:
>
> > But it is not hard to describe, that is my point. The XML 1.0 production
> > rules create a parse tree which exactly describes the source document,
down
> > to the byte. This is what I would call the XML property set, and from
this
> > one can subset to one's desire.
>
> Okay, I understand now.  Actually the production-rule level is *not* the
> bottom parsing level, because for the most part PE-references have already
> been removed.

I new there was a reason why you got this job :-)

PE-Reference is production [69] so it can be represented in a production
rule tree, the issue is that the elementDecl tree cannot be built until the
PE-Reference is expanded.

I would handle this as an <alt> with both the PE-Reference and following
character content, and its expanded form side by side.

e.g.

<PEDecl p="72">
    <seq>
        <S><c char=" "/></S>
        <Name>element</Name>
        <S><c char=" "/></S>
        <EntityDef><string value="<!ELEMENT" /></EntityDef>
     </seq>
</PEDecl>

and

<alt>
 <seq>
   <PEReference><Name>element</Name></PEReference>
   <S char=" "/><string value="FOO EMPTY>" />
  </seq>
 <elementDecl>
    <seq>
        <S/>
        <Name>FOO</Name>
        <S/>
        <contentSpec>EMPTY</contentSpec>
    </seq>
 </elementDecl>
</alt>


> Internal PEs are not really structural in XML;
> it is a mere validity constraint that requires DTD constructs to begin
> and end in the same PE, and
>
> <!ENTITY % element "<!ELEMENT">
> %element; FOO EMPTY>
>
> is a well-formed though not valid external subset.
>
> > Doesn't it make the most sense to subset from the full description,
rather
> > than both add to and subtract from a partial description?
>
> The question then remains, just what is
> useful structure and what is not?  I have done my best to answer that
> question.

Useful for the DOM and XPath, I agree, but since these already exist, and
define the middle subset, now is the time to define the full set.

I have no problem with what the Infoset is trying to accomplish as a subset
of XML 1.0 + Names (just as I have no problem with what Common XML etc are
trying to accomplish), but this activity needs to come from a complete base
down to X,Y or Z subset each of which are useful.

Jonathan Borden
The Open Healthcare Group
http://www.openhealth.org



PURCHASE STYLUS STUDIO ONLINE TODAY!

Purchasing Stylus Studio from our online shop is Easy, Secure and Value Priced!

Buy Stylus Studio Now

Download The World's Best XML IDE!

Accelerate XML development with our award-winning XML IDE - Download a free trial today!

Don't miss another message! Subscribe to this list today.
Email
First Name
Last Name
Company
Subscribe in XML format
RSS 2.0
Atom 0.3
 

Stylus Studio has published XML-DEV in RSS and ATOM formats, enabling users to easily subcribe to the list from their preferred news reader application.


Stylus Studio Sponsored Links are added links designed to provide related and additional information to the visitors of this website. they were not included by the author in the initial post. To view the content without the Sponsor Links please click here.

Site Map | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Trademarks
Free Stylus Studio XML Training:
W3C Member
Stylus Studio® and DataDirect XQuery ™are products from DataDirect Technologies, is a registered trademark of Progress Software Corporation, in the U.S. and other countries. © 2004-2013 All Rights Reserved.