Re: xml:* attributes

On Thu, Aug 16, 2012 at 12:50 AM, Dave Pawson <dave.pawson@gmail.com> wrote:

> On 15 August 2012 22:25, Uche Ogbuji <uche@ogbuji.net> wrote:
> > On Wed, Aug 15, 2012 at 3:13 PM, John Cowan <cowan@mercury.ccil.org>
> wrote:
> >>
> >> Uche Ogbuji scripsit:
> >>
> >> > Why don't we start with Option A?  We could possibly reconsider the
> >> > other options in later iterations of the spec, whereas it would be
> >> > trickier to go the other way.  That said, I'm more at peace with the
> >> > idea of just banning all colons in all names than I was yesterday.  At
> >> > least I find it much less worrisome than a major break of XMLNS 1.0
> >> > compatibility.
> >>
> >> On reflection, I'd like to see option A-prime, in which colons are not
> >> allowed except in the form "xml:something".  This has no namespace
> >> issues and preserves compatibility with XML 1.0 NS, but allows
> >> the standard attributes to still work.
> >
> >
> >  And just to be clear for now we would define no xml:* attributes in the
> > spec, possibly reconsidering that in the future, and always keeping in
> mind
> > the objections raised by Andrew and James?
> >
> > I think this is a pretty small step above Option A, so it suits me.
> Thoughts
> > from others?
>
> -1 on xml:* on the grounds of simplicity. This to support the new to XML
> user.
>

New to XML or new to MicroXML?

The user new to either of them will simply use what they see. They see
attributes such as  "xml:lang" and "xml:base" and just use them. Yes later
on it gets complex when they learn about namespaces and the special,
reserved rule for the xml prefix, but then that's no longer the new user.

Regardless, the relevant MicroXML goal here is simplification (#3 and to
some extent #1). If people do eventually get along with full XML, then they
will get along with the much simpler approach proposed above for MicroXML.
 Of course even MicroXML will be too much for some, but then again, even
JSON is too much for some, as I have learned abundantly in the field.


-- 
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