Re: Proposed erratum to unreserve names beginning xml

On 2012-12-12 11:11, Norman Walsh wrote:
> Here's my first attempt:
>
> 1. In section 2.3,
>
>     <p diff="del">Names beginning with the string "xml", or with
>     any string which would match (('X'|'x') ('M'|'m') ('L'|'l')), are
>     reserved for standardization in this or future versions of this
>     specification.</p>
>
> 2. In section 3,
>
>     This specification does not constrain the application semantics,
>     use, or (beyond syntax) names of the element types and
>     attributes<phrase diff="del">,
>     except that names beginning with a match to
>     (('X'|'x')('M'|'m')('L'|'l')) are reserved for standardization in
>     this or future versions of this specification</phrase>.
>
> 3. In section 2.6,
>
>     PIs are not part of the document's character data, but must be
>     passed through to the application. The PI begins with a target
>     (PITarget) used to identify the application to which the
>     instruction is directed.
>
>     <phrase diff="del">The target names " XML ", " xml ", and so on</phrase>
>
>     <phrase diff="add">The target name "xml" and all target names that
>     begin "xml-" (regardless of case; i.e., "xml", "XML", "xMl-", etc.)</phrase>



Given production [17], it is a syntactic error to have
a PITarget that is "xml" (regardless of case).  So I
question if it is accurate to say that such are "reserved".
Unless we change production [17] (which I wouldn't want to
do), even the XML Core WG cannot have a PITarget of "xml".

So I don't think we need or should say anything in prose
here about "xml" PI targets [I know, it's been in the spec
forever], and that what we should say here is something like:

  <phrase diff="add">Target names that begin "xml-"
  (regardless of case; i.e., "xml-", "XML-", "xMl-", etc.)</phrase>

Alternatively, we could use the more precise phrasing used
(and now deleted from) elsewhere in the spec and say:

  <phrase diff="add">Target names beginning with a match to
  (('X'|'x')('M'|'m')('L'|'l'))'-'</phrase>


>
>     are reserved for standardization in this or future
>
>     <phrase diff="del">versions of this specification</phrase>
>
>     <phrase diff="add">specifications from the XML Core WG or its successors</phrase>.

I'd spell out "Working Group" and make that phrase be a link to
http://www.w3.org/XML/Core/



>
>     The XML Notation mechanism may be used for
>     formal declaration of PI targets. Parameter entity references must
>     not be recognized within processing instructions.
>
> I made a couple of attempts to draft the prose I said I wanted, prose
> that would make it explicit that element and attribute names starting
> with "xml" were allowed but might get walked on in the future.
>
> But (a) all my attempts seemed clumsy and likely to generate more
> confusion rather than less and (b) we wouldn't actually do that, we'd
> use the xml: namespace. So I gave up.


I'm okay with that decision.

paul

Received on Wednesday, 12 December 2012 18:11:05 UTC