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RE: Why do W3C specifications have "implementationdefined" par

• From: "stephengreenubl@gmail.com" <stephengreenubl@gmail.com>
• To: "Costello, Roger L." <costello@mitre.org> , "xml-dev" <xml-dev@l...>
• Date: Thu, 08 Apr 2010 12:23:34 +0000

As an example, I worked on OASIS UBL where we  defined codelists which had built in (specified) values but also codelists, like tax code, for which we did not provide values (implementation-defined). There's no prpblem with this.

Stephen D Green


-----Original Message-----
From: Costello, Roger L.
Sent:  08/04/2010 1:06:13 pm
Subject:   Why do W3C specifications have "implementation defined" parts?

Hi Folks,

In many of the W3C specifications there are parts that are "implementation defined."

To give one example, in the XSLT specification it says this about the <xsl:message> element [1]:

    The xsl:message instruction sends a message in an implementation-defined way. 
    The xsl:message instruction causes the creation of a new document, which is 
    typically serialized and output to an implementation-defined destination.


QUESTIONS:

1. The purpose of a specification is to define a standard. Doesn't "implementation defined" defeat that purpose since it means that each vendor will define their implementation in their own way, thereby obviating standardization?

2.Is this unique to the W3C? Do other standards organizations also have "implementation defined" sections in their specifications?


/Roger

[1] http://www.w3.org/TR/2007/REC-xslt20-20070123/#message 

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