Re: "ignorable white space"

> >p.s. Can CDATA sections be located in "ignorable" areas?

Not according to January errata to the XML specification.


> Good question. I would say they shouldn't be,
> since the point of whitespace
> in element content is just to allow "pretty-printing" (indenting and the
> like), and if you're using a CDATA Section it's because you're trying to
> make an explicit statement about document content.

... even though in key places, the XML 1.0 spec had made
clear that CDATA just uses an alternate set of delimiters.
The errata have gone to some work to preclude that reading.
More SGML legacy has slipped into XML doctrine.

Lesson for anyone doing syntax design in the future:  there
is a reason for avoiding such context-sensitive mechanisms.
In one phrase:  needless complexity.

- Dave

Received on Monday, 12 June 2000 09:55:00 UTC