RE: another thought on "is element order significant" vs DTDs in WebDAV

> From: w3c-dist-auth-request@w3.org
> [mailto:w3c-dist-auth-request@w3.org]On Behalf Of Lisa Dusseault
> Sent: Monday, August 11, 2003 7:43 PM
> To: 'Lisa Dusseault'; 'Julian Reschke'; w3c-dist-auth@w3.org
> Subject: RE: another thought on "is element order significant" vs DTDs
> in WebDAV
>
>
>
> I just noticed that the specification for PROPPATCH says that property
> changes MUST be applied in order.  So clearly there are already some cases
> in WebDAV in which XML order of elements is significant.

Agreed. Order may be significant for *execution* (and I think the spec
already clearly says where this is the case). I was considering *validity*.

> I still think it's a good idea to say at a minimum that the order of
> resources and properties in a PROPFIND response is irrelevant.
> So should we
> say that in general order is irrelevant but the PROPPATCH request
> body is an
> exception?  Or should we say that in general order is important but the
> PROPFIND response body is an exception?

The former.

> I favour the first - the general rule being that order is irrelevant
unless
> specified as relevant.

Correct. A related issue is when unknown elements are to be ignored
(generally yes, but for instance not within PROPFIND/prop).

Julian


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