Re: XML catalog draft

[Murray Altheim:]

| I really have no problem at all with your accurate statement of the
| need for a resolution mechanism. But I must ask the question 'What is
| XML _for_?' in the same way you do, as we aren't trying to solve all
| the world's problems here, simply come up with a simplified subset of
| SGML called XML.

No, we're not trying to "simply come up with a simplified subset of
SGML called XML".  According to our activity statement:

   <p>The W3C has created an Editorial Review Board and Working Group to
   build a set of standards to make it easy and straightforward to use
   SGML on the Web: easy to define document types, easy to author and
   manage SGML-defined documents, and easy to transmit and share them
   across the Web.

   <p>The goal of the W3C SGML activity is to enable generic SGML to be
   served, received, and processed on the Web.  As in the case of HTML,
   the implementation of SGML on the Web will require attention not just
   to structure and content, but also to the standardization of linking
   and display functions.

   <h2>Requirements</h2>

   <p>Web servers and clients conforming to the relevant standards must
   be able to exchange generic SGML documents in a transparent manner.
   In particular:

   <ul>

   <li>Web servers with generic SGML content must be able prepare
   data for transmission.  This typically includes the generation of a
   context wrapper with each SGML fragment together with pointers to an
   associated DTD and one or more stylesheets.

   <li>Clients that process generic SGML must be able to unpackage the
   fragment, parse it in context according to the DTD, render it (if a
   rendering application) in accordance with the stylesheet, and
   correctly interpret hypertext semantics (links, etc.)  associated with
   various SGML elements.

   </ul>

There's more going on here than just subsetting SGML.  You have to be
able to get documents across the Web and they have to be able to do
what they're expected to do when they get there.

It's still an open question whether this group should be trying to
establish or recommend a resolution mechanism, but the question is
relevant and will eventually have to be dealt with.  Personally, I
find that I am much more inclined to try to establish a mechanism than
I was a few months ago.

Jon

Received on Friday, 7 February 1997 22:29:37 UTC