Re: Considering the standalone declaration

Grosso, Paul scripsit:

> Henry: The browsers aren't going to pay attention to the standalone
> declaration.
> ... Unless we change the XML spec to change the default. The problem is
> that the default is standalone=no. So if we ask the browsers to change
> to make standalone=no an error, we'll break all XHTML. It's a lose-lose
> situation.

[etc.]

I must be missing something here, because this discussion seems to me
entirely pointless.  The standalone="yes" declaration is a hint to a
non-validating processor (NVP) that it does not have to read any external
parameter entities including the external DTD subset (henceforth EPEs)
because none of them can possibly affect the document infoset.  It has
no meaning to a validating processor, which must read all entities in
any case.  Likewise, it has no meaning to a NVP which never reads EPEs:
browser XML processors fall into this category.

A standalone="no" declaration is equivalent to the absence of a standalone
declaration: it simply means that there is no such hint.  It does not
assert that there are EPEs, or relevant EPEs.  It certainly does not
compel NVPs to read any EPEs.

-- 
Deshil Holles eamus.  Deshil Holles eamus.  Deshil Holles eamus.
Send us, bright one, light one, Horhorn, quickening, and wombfruit. (3x)
Hoopsa, boyaboy, hoopsa!  Hoopsa, boyaboy, hoopsa!  Hoopsa, boyaboy, hoopsa!
  --Joyce, Ulysses, "Oxen of the Sun"       cowan@ccil.org

Received on Monday, 17 October 2011 15:19:18 UTC