Re: New DOM Level 2 Working Draft

Arnaud Le Hors <lehors@w3.org> writes:

> "Stephen R. Savitzky" wrote:
> > 
> > I got the phrase "The DOM is simply an API to this information set" directly
> > out of the Level 2 spec.  If it's incorrect, please remove it.
> 
> No, I believe that sentence is correct. What is incorrect is your
> assertion: "the XML Information Set includes the complete DTD".

The DTD appears to be an optional property, as does the reference from an
attribute to its declaration in the DTD.  The DTD itself is optional in the
information set, as are its contents.  But the DOM includes _some_ of the
optional components of the DTD.  Can one pick and choose in this way, and
still say you have "an API to this information set"?

In addition, I would like to draw your attention to item 2 of the
following section of the information set and ask whether this required
property of text is part of the DOM:

2.6.1. Characters: Required Properties

       A character information item must have the following properties
       available in some form: 

        1. The ISO 10646 character code (in the range 0 to hex 0010FFFF) of
           the character.  
        2. A flag indicating whether the character is whitespace appearing
           within element content (see [XML], 
          2.10 "White Space Handling"). Validating processors are required
          by XML 1.0 to provide this information; non-validating
          processors may always set this flag to false.  

I recall that early drafts of the DOM did, in fact, have an
"isIgnoreableWhitespace" attribute on Text.

I do not believe that failing to support a _required_ property of the
information set is consistent with calling the DOM an API to it.

-- 
Stephen R. Savitzky  <steve@rsv.ricoh.com>  <http://rsv.ricoh.com/~steve/>
Quote of the month:  Death is nature's way of telling you to slow down.
Chief Software Scientist, Ricoh Silicon Valley, Inc. Calif. Research Center
 voice: 650.496.5710  front desk: 650.496.5700  fax: 650.854.8740 
  home: <steve@theStarport.org> URL: http://theStarport.org/people/steve/

Received on Tuesday, 28 September 1999 11:08:52 UTC