Deriving specs from specs, building specs on specs

This is a last call comment from C. M. Sperberg-McQueen (cmsmcq@acm.org) on
the Character Model for the World Wide Web 1.0
(http://www.w3.org/TR/2002/WD-charmod-20020430/).

Semi-structured version of the comment:

Submitted by: C. M. Sperberg-McQueen (cmsmcq@acm.org)
Submitted on behalf of (maybe empty): 
Comment type: editorial
Chapter/section the comment applies to: 3.5 Reference Processing Model
The comment will be visible to: public
Comment title: Deriving specs from specs, building specs on specs
Comment:
In the sentence "NOTE: All specifications that derive from the XML 
1.0 specification [XML 1.0] automatically inherit this Reference 
Processing Model", I think the phrase "derive from" is not quite right.
One would not say that the XHTML spec "derives from" the XML spec:
it references it, uses it, builds a language on it, builds on it,
cites it normatively (does it?), but it is specs like XML 1.1 which
"derive from" (stand in the relation of genealogical descent to) 
the XML 1.0 spec.  Perhaps an acceptable wording would be "all
specifications which define applications of the XML 1.0 specification ..."?


Structured version of  the comment:

<lc-comment
  visibility="public" status="pending"
  decision="pending" impact="editorial">
  <originator email="cmsmcq@acm.org" represents="-"
      >C. M. Sperberg-McQueen</originator>
  <charmod-section href='http://www.w3.org/TR/2002/WD-charmod-20020430/#sec-RefProcModel'
    >3.5</charmod-section>
  <title>Deriving specs from specs, building specs on specs</title>
  <description>
    <comment>
      <dated-link date="2002-07-12"
        >Deriving specs from specs, building specs on specs</dated-link>
      <para>In the sentence "NOTE: All specifications that derive from the XML 
1.0 specification [XML 1.0] automatically inherit this Reference 
Processing Model", I think the phrase "derive from" is not quite right.
One would not say that the XHTML spec "derives from" the XML spec:
it references it, uses it, builds a language on it, builds on it,
cites it normatively (does it?), but it is specs like XML 1.1 which
"derive from" (stand in the relation of genealogical descent to) 
the XML 1.0 spec.  Perhaps an acceptable wording would be "all
specifications which define applications of the XML 1.0 specification ..."?</para>
    </comment>
  </description>
</lc-comment>

Received on Thursday, 11 July 2002 21:55:49 UTC