[Bug 5002] Wrong use of the term "root node" in the XDM spec

http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=5002

           Summary: Wrong use of the term "root node" in the XDM spec
           Product: XPath / XQuery / XSLT
           Version: Recommendation
          Platform: PC
               URL: http://www.w3.org/TR/xpath-datamodel
        OS/Version: Windows XP
            Status: NEW
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P2
         Component: Data Model
        AssignedTo: Norman.Walsh@Sun.COM
        ReportedBy: mukul_gandhi@yahoo.com
         QAContact: public-qt-comments@w3.org


I found an inconsistency in a terminology in the "XQuery 1.0 and XPath 2.0 Data
Model" specification (http://www.w3.org/TR/xpath-datamodel).

Section 2.1 Terminology mentions:
Every node is one of the seven kinds of nodes defined in "6 Nodes". Nodes form
a tree that consists of a root node plus all the nodes that are reachable
directly or indirectly from the root node via the dm:children, dm:attributes,
and dm:namespace-nodes accessors. Every node belongs to exactly one tree, and
every tree has exactly one root node.

The reference to the term, "root node" in this paragraph seems wrong. XPath 2.0
& XQuery 1.0 now use the term document node. 

Then in the same section, it's defined, "A tree whose root node is a Document
Node is referred to as a document".

And, "A tree whose root node is not a Document Node is referred to as a
fragment".

Then in section, "2.4 Document Order", it's written: The root node is the first
node.

Also in section, "D Glossary (Non-Normative)", the term root node is used.

Although the concept of "root node" does not exist in "XQuery 1.0 and XPath 2.0
Data Model", this term is used at many places in this specification.

If "root node" is a valid concept in XQuery 1.0 and XPath 2.0, I think, it
should be clearly defined in the data model specification. 

As per my knowledge, the concept of "root node" is now replaced by "document
node" in XQuery & XPath 2.0. 

If I am correct, then references to the term "root node" should be removed from
the "XQuery 1.0 and XPath 2.0 Data Model" specification, and replaced with
"document node". Or, the concept of "root node" should be defined, if such a
node type exists in the data model (which to me is not a valid node type in the
data mode, as per the specification).

Regards,
Mukul

Received on Tuesday, 4 September 2007 06:17:12 UTC