Re: "Root" vs. "Document"

James Clark wrote:
> 
> Users frequently get confused between the root node and the document
> element node.  Calling the nodes "the document node" and "the document
> element node" would I believe increase the likelihood confusion.  

The document element is also called the root element in XML 1.0. My
experience is that whatever the terminology, when you are speaking and
writing you must say "root node, not root element", "document node, not
document element." So we might as well be consistent.

> On the
> other hand, I accept that divergence from the infoset and the DOM may
> also be a source of confusion.  However, I think it's a bit late to be
> changing: it's been like this in XSL ever since the first draft about a
> year ago (we are about to release the 5th now), and nobody has objected
> in all that time.

Well it only became blatantly clear when infoset integration became an
issue.

Obviously this issue doesn't shake the foundations of the XML world. If
you guys discuss it and decide to leave it I won't care much.

 Paul Prescod

Received on Tuesday, 10 August 1999 08:53:04 UTC