Re: [Bug 6777] In HTML documents, no-namespace expression must match http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml nodes

Henri Sivonen wrote:
> On Apr 6, 2009, at 18:31, bugzilla@wiggum.w3.org wrote:
> 
>> Just to answer a couple of your points and questions, and then let's 
>> take it to
>> private e-mail or whatwg or some such since a bug tracking system 
>> isn't the
>> right place for a debate.
> 
> CCed www-archive.
> 
>> The specific step I would like to see happen is for HTML 5 to mandate 
>> namespace
>> well-formedness and require draconian error handling.
> 
> That's not feasible, because any browser implementing Draconian handling 
> would lose market share.

I know three browsers that implement Draconian handling and collectively 
they are growing in market share.  The reality is more complex than this.

Architecturally, this is supported as a server side option in form of a 
distinct MIME type.

Unless IE were to support this MIME type, usage of this feature will 
remain minuscule.  Many (myself included, and I'm one who does use this 
feature routinely today) feel that even if IE were to support it today 
and backport this function to IE8, IE7 and IE6 that usage will remain 
minuscule.

Perhaps the world is just not ready for this.  Perhaps the world will 
never be ready for this.  But it certainly isn't ready for this now.

In my opinion, a reasonable first step would be a conformance checker 
(perhaps as an option) issued warnings when attribute values aren't 
quotes and br tags aren't redundantly marked as self closing.  To date, 
I've not found the energy to do this myself, and so far I have been 
unsuccessful in getting Henri to volunteer to do this work.

Elliotte: would you have cycles for such a task?

- Sam Ruby

Received on Monday, 6 April 2009 18:48:37 UTC