RE: An issue with XPath 2.0 sequences (Was Re: RE: Mue

> Having said that, i still think it would be much cleaner to
> allow sequences containing sequences, even if it breaks some
> existing style sheets.

I asked some questions about how this decision came about from colleagues on
the various working groups. The basic rationale is that it's a consequence
of the XML schema type system. Sequences were added to the XPath data model
because XML Schema supports sequences of simple values. Schema doesn't
support sequences of sequences, so we don't either; if you want a hierarchic
structure, you use a complex-valued element. So it comes down to the fact
that we're designing a language for processing XML documents, not a
general-purpose programming language.

I accept that the above isn't a conclusive argument that we've done the
right thing; I present it more as a post-hoc explanation of how the language
came to be like it is.

Mike Kay


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