Re: [xml-dev] xml:base error handling

* Elliotte Rusty Harold wrote:
>What is the base URI of the child element? According to the XML Base 
>spec, the base URI of an element is "the base URI specified by an 
>xml:base attribute on the element, if one exists". However, in this 
>case (and many others) the xml:base attribute exists but it does not 
>provide a URI.

It does not have to, XML Base says "The value of this attribute is
interpreted as a URI Reference as defined in RFC 2396 [IETF RFC 2396],
after processing according to Section 3.1." As it does not define how
to interprete arbitrary strings (after processing according to Section
3.1) as URI References, conforming XML Base processors may do whatever
they like (no matter whether section 3.1 processing yields in a legal
URI Reference or not).

>Does anyone know what the intent was in this case, if indeed there 
>was intent at all? It's possible the working group did not consider 
>this possibility. However, this is resolved, I think an erratum is 
>needed to clarify the proper handling of non-URIs that occur in 
>xml:base attributes.

Some requirements for legal xml:base attribute values would also be
nice, for example, the value must yield in a legal URI Reference after
processing according to Section 3.1.

Received on Wednesday, 14 January 2004 13:58:54 UTC