Re: RFC: White Space Handling In XML Parsing

Arkin wrote:

> That pretty much depends on how you define "xml:space=default". Is
> 'default' a specific behavior, or is 'default' really "no intentions as
> regards application space handling". My understanding of the XML REC is
> that there are only two possible states: preserve and default, where
> default and clueless are pretty much the same.
> 
> In no place does it really say what 'default' should be, which is what
> the WS RFC attempts to clarify.

Here's the relevant two paragraphs from clause 2.10:

# The value "default" signals that applications' default
# white-space processing modes are acceptable for this element;
# the value "preserve" indicates the intent that
# applications preserve all the white space.
# [sentence about inheritance snipped] 
# 
# The root element of any document is considered to have
# signaled no intentions as regards application space handling,
# unless it provides a value for this attribute or the
# attribute is declared with a default value. 

So default means "Application, do your usual thing", and preserve
means "Application, preserve all whitespace", and clueless means
"I'm not saying what you should do."  I admit that a reasonable
application should probably treat clueless as equivalent to default
(what else is there to do?), but the Rec doesn't actually say so,
and indeed goes out of its way to say otherwise.

-- 
John Cowan	http://www.ccil.org/~cowan		cowan@ccil.org
	You tollerday donsk?  N.  You tolkatiff scowegian?  Nn.
	You spigotty anglease?  Nnn.  You phonio saxo?  Nnnn.
		Clear all so!  'Tis a Jute.... (Finnegans Wake 16.5)

Received on Monday, 17 May 1999 10:44:44 UTC