XSLT/XPath data model: no node for DTD?

The XPath data model conspicuously does not include the DTD as a possible
node in XML documents. Although XSLT notes "support for DTDs in the data
model" in Appendix F as a feature for future consideration, it's not clear
to me why it was omitted in the first place.

Given that the focus of XSL Transformation is the creation of new XML
documents from old XML documents, surely support for creation or inclusion
of a DTD is important? If I understand the recommendations correctly, an
XSLT stylesheet can't even *see* the old DTD, let alone include it in a
modified document.

Sure, while we're still waiting for XML-based schema representations
there's not much that can logically be done to a DTD, but why not at least
include it in the data model?

Michael Fuller
____________________________________________
http://www.mds.rmit.edu.au/~msf/
Multimedia Databases Group, RMIT, Australia.


 XSL-List info and archive:  http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list