- From: Michael Sperberg-McQueen <U35395@UICVM.CC.UIC.EDU>
- Date: Tue, 17 Sep 96 10:26:46 CDT
- To: W3C SGML Working Group <w3c-sgml-wg@w3.org>
On Tue, 17 Sep 1996 09:08:40 -0400 Gavin Nicol said: >>1) File can be valid SGML (as external general entity) > >True for systems that understand the hack. For systems that do not All SGML systems understand how to parse PIs, and all SGML systems rely on the SGML declaration (or a hard-coded character set) to understand character encodings, so I think Rick is right; the file can be valid SGML, period. The SGML system does not need any understanding of the hack. >When I say external, I mean external to the actual entity. Metadata >does not belong in the objects that it refers to. Since tags are clearly metadata in the broad sense of the term, I think this thesis will have a tough time commanding universal assent in a group full of SGML partisans. At least, I hope so. I don't object to external metadata, but it is remarkably fragile and it is remarkable how easily it goes out of date. Internal metadata is perceptibly less fragile and goes out of date less easily, in my experience -- probably because internal metadata is there when changes are made. Humans are less prone to forget it, and programs are less likely to be unable to find it for updating. The longer this discussion goes on, the more I am tempted to migrate to the Hard Minimalist camp. -C. M. Sperberg-McQueen
Received on Tuesday, 17 September 1996 11:36:31 UTC