Re: A note on case sensitivity

I strongly disagree about case sensitivity.  We have zero XML legacy
data, but a *ton* of HTML and SGML legacy data, as well as legacy 
coding experience (which weighs more heavily, I think).  NAMECASE
GENERAL should be YES in XML.

I don't understand the A-J analogy.  How can case insensitivity be like 
having a restricted alphabet, if the difference is only "case" (whatever 
that notion means) and not something more significant that makes the
thing turn into another character entirely?

Particularly considering that HyTime makes a distinction (if a weak and
conventional one) between !element and !ELEMENT, but also on the other
grounds Paul Grosso mentioned earlier, I'd hate to require a single
case -- particularly lowercase -- for SGML keywords.

        Eve

At 12:20 PM 10/30/96 -0500, David G. Durand"  (David G. Durand wrote:
>At 8:42 PM 10/29/96, Bill Smith wrote:
>>Michael Sperberg-McQueen wrote:
>>
>>> As do I.  I also think it's the most practicable thing to do.  We
>>> will never have less XML legacy data to worry about than we do now
>>> -- so it will never be easier to introduce case sensitivity
>>> throughout the markup language than it is now.
>>
>>Well said.
>>
>>> Let's all take a deep breath.  Case-sensitive element names,
>>> attribute names, attribute values.  We can live with that.  Element
>>> names restricted to a subset of the alphabet (say, A-J, all
>>> uppercase)?  I couldn't live happily with that, and I can't see
>>> asking the native speakers of every language but English and Latin
>>> to do so.
>>
>>Ditto.
>
>Yea, verily, yea!
>
>Now the agonizing part: are !element !attlist, etc. upper or lower case?
>
>I argue for lower case, given that studies of roman alphabet readability
>dhave shown mixed case to be more distinctive, legible, and easy to read
>than ALL CAPS TEXT. I have having to shout when I type tags....
>
>   -- David
>
>Since the religious aspect of this issue is very large, perhaps comments
>should be restricted to a single vote for preferred case... I could live
>will ALL CAPS BUT I FIND IT UGLY AND HARD TO READ. I WILL NOT POST FURTHER
>ON THE ISSUE OF WHICH CASE TO USE. I HAVE SAID MY PIECE. I'D STILL MUCH
>RATHER LIVE WITH UPPER CASE THAN TRY TO DEFINE CORRECT CASE FOLDING IN
>UNICODE, or implement it.
>
>RE delenda est.
>I am not a number. I am an undefined character.
>_________________________________________
>David Durand              dgd@cs.bu.edu  \  david@dynamicDiagrams.com
>Boston University Computer Science        \  Sr. Analyst
>http://www.cs.bu.edu/students/grads/dgd/   \  Dynamic Diagrams
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>
>
>

Received on Wednesday, 30 October 1996 14:25:47 UTC