XInclude @xpointer when parse="text"

Norm raised this issue, and we discussed it some at our f2f.
This is my attempt to kick off an email discussion on the topic.

Previous email discussion is at
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-xml-core-wg/2011Oct/thread.ht
ml#msg46

I would summarize the issue as follows:

<issue-summary>
There does (now) exist a fragment identifier syntax for 
text/plain, and it would be nice to be able to have an 
xinclude use that syntax to access part of a text file.
Note that the current XInclude spec says that the xpointer 
attribute is ignored when parse="text".  And even if that
weren't the case, the fragment identifier syntax for 
text/plain wouldn't be an xpointer scheme.
</issue-summary>

We are chartered to issue an XInclude 1.0 3rd Edition which
could perhaps include some clarifying text on this issue.
We also have some interest in issuing an XInclude 1.1 which
would allow us to add attributes to XInclude. 

At the f2f, we outlined three possible choices:

1.  allow use of the @xpointer attribute when parse=text
2.  add a new "@textptr" attribute to use when parse=text
3.  add a new "@fragid" attribute to use in all cases and
    possibly deprecate the @xpointer attribute

The assembled group at the f2f was generally positive about 
working on a solution of some sort.  It felt like the "right" 
solution if we could time-travel backwards would be #3, the 
easiest spec change was to #2, though some of us felt that #1 
was the best choice at the present.

Either #2 or #3 would seem to require an XInclude 1.1.
We might be able to get away with #1 in a 3rd Edition.

Please discuss this in email.

paul

Received on Wednesday, 16 November 2011 17:45:12 UTC