Re: 2.1 a-d: Link Recognition by Reserved Attribute?

cbullard@hiwaay.net writes:
>Murray Altheim wrote:
>> We certainly don't want AF understanding to be a requirement for XML use,
>> and while a simple explanation might suffice, it seems that simply stating
>> that *one* method of providing hypertext markup would be to use the
>> <XML-LINKTO> or <XML-ASSOCIATE> elements (or whatever they end up being
>> named).
>
>It's logical, but my experience is the great unwashed masses don't
>design DTDs or use arch forms.  That argument is overrated.  If
>I have to live with one and only one way of doing it, I prefer
>to have the GI left to my discretion, and the superclass assignment
>in the attribute as a silent but helpful partner.  After all
>this talk of extensibility and something more powerful than
>HTML, I hate to see us return to precisely the same design by
>giving them a non-extensible set of link types.

I don't assume that people will hand-code a DTD, but I could see a
Microsoft Word-like application that builds its document storage model on a
base DTD and stylesheet that the user unknowingly modifies as the document
outline and styles are filled in. Tens of thousands of DTDs every day.

XML applications may also be developed to fill niche roles in various
industries, with the idea that interoperability is gained by using a
commonly-available XML browser. CML might just be the first of many
industries that would want to take advantage of a simplified, custom
markup. Not thousands of DTDs, maybe a stable dozen. But browser vendors
(and I'm guessing average users) would much better understand a common GI,
with an option to use an attribute left to others.

As I mentioned, I'm much more an advocate of using attributes, but a
stable, understood GI might be a choice *some* people would prefer.
Netscape, forinstance.

>They don't get the power without the responsibility to learn
>the technique.

Whoa. You obviously don't work in marketing.

Murray

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
    Murray Altheim, Program Manager
    Spyglass, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts
    email: <mailto:murray@spyglass.com>
    http:  <http://www.cm.spyglass.com/murray/murray.html>
           "Give a monkey the tools and he'll eventually build a typewriter."

Received on Friday, 14 February 1997 10:59:09 UTC