RE: Notes on the draft polyglot document Polyglot document

Eliot Graff, Thu, 17 Jun 2010 18:23:26 +0000:
> Any other conversation or objections about the title? Otherwise I am 
> going to make the change to the eloquent and persuasively-argued:
> 
> Polyglot Markup: HTML-compatible XHTML Documents

I would like you to consider 'HTML polyglots' instead of 'Polyglot 
Markup':

   HTML polyglots: HTML-compatible XHTML Documents

Why? Because, TBL, when he started this thread, emphasized that the 
spec  "is the definition of *the polyglot set of documents*" (my 
emphasis). [1] 

And while 'HTML-compatible XHTML Documents' is an excellent 
explanation, it would also be good to be able to refer to a specific 
document as a 'HTML polyglot' or just 'polyglot' (when the context 
allows), as this is shorter and better serve as a identifying name.  

Note that 'polyglot' is used as a noun. 'Polyglot' as a noun is simply 
a specialized synonym for 'Document'. The source code documents of 
polyglot computer programs are typically referred to as 'polyglot(s)'. 
Thus we get two synonymous expressions in the title: "HTML polyglots" 
means exactly the same as "HTML-compatible XHTML Documnets".

In contrast, 'Polyglot Markup' isn't a phrase that specifically relates 
to HTML Markup. And it also isn't a phrase that means 'Document'. 

Other advantages: the title then begins with the word 'HTML'. This can 
be useful e.g. when looking at this page: 
http://www.w3.org/TR/Overview.html

Other issues: That 'HTML' appears twice in row, isn't ideal. But not a 
big problem. (By the way: the occurrences of 'HTML' have slightly 
different meaning: In 'HTML polyglots" it refers to the vocabulary 
known as 'HTML'. In 'HTML-compatible', we use it in the 'text/html' 
sense.)

[1] http://www.w3.org/mid/7850A528-CBAC-48DF-865B-463E40442824@w3.org
-- 
leif halvard silli

Received on Friday, 18 June 2010 03:26:37 UTC