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

Re: IDs considered harmful or why keys might bebetterthanIDs..


Re:  IDs considered harmful or why keys might bebetterthanIDs..
On Tue, 2001-11-13 at 08:33, Jonathan Borden wrote:
> > I think that perhaps you've misread my suggestion.
> 
> No, I was using it to make a point roughly along the lines of "perfect is
> the enemy of good". 

Heh.  I think I'm claiming something more like "broken and obvious is
better than working and subtle", so we're likely talking past each
other.

> In our rush to 'move beyond' DTDs we sometimes neglect
> the lowly internal subset which _is_ instance data, so for example
> specifications like SOAP which are now stuck with the inability to have IDs
> (shrug).

I'm not sure I'm willing to describe the internal subset as instance
data, to be honest.  To me it's metadata which is encapsulated inside
the document, basically a historical accident of the peculiar rights
given to non-validating parsers.

> Right. And since we have relatively good information that every SAX parser
> properly reports ID attributes _which are declared in the instance i.e. the
> internal subset_ I am not entirely sure that the need for another syntax to
> in-line declare identifiers is not syntax sugar (not that syntax sugar is
> sometimes useful).

Your syntax sugar is my gluten foundation, and vice-versa.

After years of meddling with XML interoperability and the lack of it, I
can't say that I've seen much evidence of the internal subset doing any
substantial good in these matters.

I'd rather do less so I can get on with doing more.

-- 
Simon St.Laurent
"Every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better." - Emile Coue


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.