Re: KISS (was: Parameter entity references in WF docs)

Alex Milowski wrote:
> 
> > Why can the doctype itself not be considered a module?
> 
> Well, it can.  I'm all for it!!!!
> 
> I would love to have a better model for reusing, including, and
> subclassing definitions.  Can we accomplish this in XML?  Should we?

We could, but I think like the rest of you, there is a considerable 
amount of other groundwork to be done before this becomes a 
work item.  But it has been a pet wish for some SGMLers for 
a very long time now, so I expect to see it argued here sooner 
or later.  A big issue wiil be that classes and objects are 
defined as data encapsulated with behavior, and that's a 
non-starter if past debates are an indication.

> I'd rather see a uniform solution come into play from the WG8 group that
> addresses issues for XML.  Considering this, we can push ideas "up" from
> XML but I'm not sure if we should explicitly attempt to solve this in
> XML.

I have a different view of XML: I see it as the focus of 
experimentation and development whose successful results 
work their way into the parent standard.  That is a good 
process and makes the "two sets of books" problem go away.
Continued negotiations with WG8 are a very healthy thing.

 
> In other words, parameter entities are useful and other ideas are more
> useful but I'm not convinced we have the time and have gathered the requirements
> to be able to solve this problem on our current schedule for XML.  Let us keep
> parameter entities and restrict whatever necessary to make implementation and
> use reasonable.

Yep.  I don't like PEs much, but I've used them and others have 
used them a lot.  My last back against the wall argument is 
really only, "how much time and how much has to be done to 
get products in the pipeline for the first season of shows".

len

Received on Thursday, 5 June 1997 21:27:58 UTC