Re: Validity of DOM documents

% From: Joe Lapp <jlapp@acm.org>
% 
% Hello.  I have a question about what DOM has to say about the
% validity of the documents represented using DOM.
% 
% It seems to me that objects comprising DOM map isomorphically
% into the elements comprising an XML document.  Given that
% validity is defined for an XML document, it should be possible
% to define validity for a DOM document through this mapping.
% Such a definition would likely be intuitive and directly
% derivable from the XML definition.

I assume you mean conforming to a given DTD, i.e. the XML spec
sense of "validity" (we have to be careful here, there are different
connotations depending on what sort of validity).

% The DOM (Core) Level 1 draft says that issues of document
% "validation" are being deferred to subsequent DOM levels.  I'm
% wondering if anyone can answer the following questions for me:
% 
% (1) Does the term "validation" in the Level 1 draft refer to
%     ensuring document validity, where validity is defined by
%     derivation as I have suggested above?  If not I'm curious
%     to know what it refers to or whether the whole notion is
%     still being left open (and what it might entail).

The term validation refers to validating with respect to the DTD.

% (2) If for purposes of this question we do define validity as
%     I suggest above, what does DOM have to say about the
%     validity of DOM documents?  In particular, I'd like to
%     know the degree to which DOM allows for the creation of
%     invalid documents and what DOM interface operations
%     require that validity be preserved.
% 
% (An answer the the first question will probably also answer
% the second question.)

We haven't yet decided this one. Given that XML does allow 
the creation of invalid (though well-formed) documents, the 
DOM will also have to allow this. So this means that any
interface operations that act on XML documents will have to
allow invalid (but well-formed) documents, but somehow give 
the user a chance to see whether the document is invalid 
after the operation. We know there is a concern here; we 
will be tackling the question after Level 1.

cheers,

Lauren

Received on Wednesday, 3 December 1997 12:53:45 UTC