XForms WD 20020821 3.3.1 Referencing Schemas - Catch 22?

I note that in 3.3.1 the WG seeks feedback on implementation of the schema 
attribute. I would suggest that there is another step necessary before 
worthwhile feedback can be provided - the WG needs to more clearly define 
what the schema attribute is intended to do.

3.3.1 mentions a URI fragment such as "#mySchema" without defining the 
semantics of the syntax. Is it a reference to an HTML/XHTML anchor? 
Presumably not - this is supposedly a cross-platform XML technology.

So is it a "bare names" XPointer? We are not told.

But a bare names XPointer is a shorthand for access to an XML element's id 
attribute and here we run into potential trouble.

Chapter 3.2.1 seems to imply that it is the host language, not XForms, which 
adds an id attribute to the XForms elements.

So, unless I am misunderstanding all this (which is quite possible), the WD 
seems to expect a bare names XPointer to reference an id attribute which is 
(yet to be) provided by the host language.

Since the host language is not obliged to add an id attribute to the 
xforms:schema element which corresponds to the schema attribute of the 
xforms:model element there seems to be a Catch 22. The schema attribute will 
likely be referencing a non-matching id attribute on an xforms:schema 
element.

If I have this all upside down the explanation in the WD needs to be 
improved. If I have it the right way up I would suggest that some design 
points need to be re-thought.

Andrew Watt

Received on Thursday, 29 August 2002 12:26:08 UTC