Re: [XBL] XBL 2.0 Semantic-free XML elements

On Tue, 10 Oct 2006, Karl Dubost wrote:
> 
> Le 06-10-07 à 07:35, Ian Hickson a écrit :
> > > Semantic-free with regards to the XBL specification or with regards to
> > > the user agent.
> > 
> > Neither. With regards to the element. An element has semantics if it 
> > is defined (generally by a specification) to have semantics. For 
> > example the "form" element in the HTML namespace has semantics to do 
> > with form submission. The "div" element in the XBL namespace has 
> > semantics to do with block rendering and tooltips. And so forth.
> 
> Then back to the original question.
> 
> 	What is a semantic free element?

An element that has no meaning.


> Is the element "alfrun" a semantic free element?

To my knowledge, unless a specification defines it.


> There could be a DTD, schema or specification giving some semantics to this
> element.
> It seems that "form" is not semantic free but "alfrun" is. Why?

Not sure I understand you.


> Is a semantic free element an element which has no declared namespace in 
> an XBL document?

No, it's an element that has no meaning. No semantics. No defined 
processing. A generic, unknown element.


> > > Let's take a user agent HappySurf implementing XBL and SVG only. [...]
> > > Is the "svg" element "semantic free" for HappySurf user agent?
> > 
> > The "svg" element in the SVG namespace is never semantic-free.
> 
> Why?

Because there is a specification that says what its semantics are.


> > It has the (rather complicated) semantics defined for that element in 
> > the SVG specification. It doesn't matter whether the UA supports SVG 
> > or not.
> 
> There are many elements in the world which are defined in specs not 
> supported in user agents. How do we distinguish a semantic free with a 
> non semantic free element in the context of XBL implementations?

Why does it matter? The requirement isn't on the UA to distinguish one 
from the other. The only requirement that uses the term "semantic-free" is 
one that requires the UA to treat an element as if it was semantic-free, 
which is something any UA can trivially do (since it is the default 
behaviour when it doesn't know about it).

-- 
Ian Hickson               U+1047E                )\._.,--....,'``.    fL
http://ln.hixie.ch/       U+263A                /,   _.. \   _\  ;`._ ,.
Things that are impossible just take longer.   `._.-(,_..'--(,_..'`-.;.'