Pro-FPI manifesto. (Actually a one-character correction to get FPIs for free)

I think I had mailer problems. So this is a re-transmission.
   -- David

   Tim's invitation for manifestoes was too good to pass up, for the
manifestly inclined...

   The W3C has an ongoing URN process, that is now (finally) bearing fruit.
There are IETF drafts in place for syntax and an initial resolution
mechanism. FPIs will be "grandfathered" into the URN namespace, so that
every FPI will have an equivalent URN, and if we get the resolutin services
working within the framework, they will be resolvable over the web.

   So, my new suggestion for FPIs is that we not worry about the special
SGMl syntax for them, but correct the String "URL" in the XML document to
read "URI". A URI is a Universal Resource Identifier (URL _or_ URN). The
IETF is recasting specs to refer to URI's instead of URLs anyway, in
anticipation of URNs becoming real. Now we can have FPIs if we want, with
no special syntax requirements, and with no additional work for
implementors who implement URN resolution services in their applications.

   Easy, no?

   -- David

I am not a number. I am an undefined character.
_________________________________________
David Durand              dgd@cs.bu.edu  \  david@dynamicDiagrams.com
Boston University Computer Science        \  Sr. Analyst
http://www.cs.bu.edu/students/grads/dgd/   \  Dynamic Diagrams
--------------------------------------------\  http://dynamicDiagrams.com/
MAPA: mapping for the WWW                    \__________________________

Received on Tuesday, 26 November 1996 19:35:33 UTC