[Bug 4373] [F+O] resolve-uri() where $base is relative

http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=4373

           Summary: [F+O] resolve-uri() where $base is relative
           Product: XPath / XQuery / XSLT
           Version: Recommendation
          Platform: PC
        OS/Version: Windows XP
            Status: NEW
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P2
         Component: Functions and Operators
        AssignedTo: ashok.malhotra@oracle.com
        ReportedBy: mike@saxonica.com
         QAContact: public-qt-comments@w3.org


The specification of resolve-uri() is unclear about what happens when the $base
argument is itself a relative URI.

At one stage the specification stated this was an error, and my recollection is
that we made a deliberate decision to change this. However, the summary still
states "The purpose of this function is to enable a relative URI to be resolved
against an absolute URI", and the body of the specification states "and the
resulting absolute URI reference is returned" (if $base is allowed to be
relative, then the result will also be relative).

The question was raised in a challenge to the published results of XSLT test
case reluri19, which assume that resolving against a relative URI is permitted:
see http://www.w3.org/Member/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=684 (member-only)

My proposed resolution would be to issue an editorial clarification to make it
clear that $base is allowed to be relative, and that in this case the result
will also be relative.

Received on Wednesday, 7 March 2007 10:43:10 UTC