identify XHTML DTD by URI, not by FPI

regarding:

"2.1. Document Conformance

A Conforming XHTML Basic document is a document that requires only the
facilities
described as mandatory in this specification. Such a document must meet
all of the following
criteria: 

[...]
   4.There must be a DOCTYPE declaration in the document prior to the
root element. If
     present, the public identifier included in the DOCTYPE declaration
must reference the
     DTD found in Appendix B using its Formal Public Identifier. The
system identifier may
     be modified appropriately. 

     <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML Basic 1.0//EN"
                           "xhtml-basic10.dtd">

	-- http://www.w3.org/TR/2000/WD-xhtml-basic-20000210/

I don't believe it's in W3C's interests (nor the interests of
the Web Community) to issue XML public identifiers,
and I don't know what way it would be "appropriate" to modify the
system identifier.

I suggest that the system identifier MUST be
	http://www.w3.org/TR/2000/WD-xhtml-basic-20000210/xhtml-basic10.dtd
(or a relative URI that resolves to that same identifer in context).

That's the identifier of the DTD; while folks may put copies elsewhere
in the web, the way to claim conformance to the W3C spec is to use
the W3C-issued identifier.

Note that the popular mechanism for looking up FPIs in a local
catalog also works for URI system identifiers:

"SYSTEM sysid1 sysid2 
     This specifies that sysid2 should be used as the effective system
     identifier if the system identifier specified in the external
identifier was
     sysid1. sysid2 should always be quoted to ensure that it is not
     misinterpreted when parsed by a system that does not support this
     extension. "
-- SP - Catalogs
http://www.jclark.com/sp/catalog.htm

I wonder if that's included in the SGML Open TR... crap..
broken link: http://www.oasis-open.org/a401.htm
Hmm... their server seems to be bogged down. I can't look it
up just now.

I think there's similar wording in the XHTML 1.0 spec, and I don't
believe
it belongs there. sigh.. indeed:

	"The system identifier may be changed to reflect local system
conventions."
	-- http://www.w3.org/TR/2000/REC-xhtml1-20000126/#docconf

-- 
Dan Connolly
http://www.w3.org/People/Connolly/

Received on Thursday, 10 February 2000 16:41:20 UTC