Feedback on XHTML 2.0 WD (20030131)

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Hello dear list members,


here's my feedback on the XHTML 2.0 WD
http://www.w3.org/TR/2003/WD-xhtml2-20030131


3.2 User Agent conformance
I'd not refer to them but at least copy them if no change is required.

4. XHTML 2.0 Document Type
I'd like to see XHTML 2.0 also include MathML, not just XForms.
(I know that's just a wish)

5.5 Attribute Types
> Linktype 'redirect'
> Linktype 'redirect' to handle the one missing piece of functionality that 
http-equiv used to supply.
I'd remove this. I don't think it's the task of HTML to solve the inability of 
some webmasters to configure their servers (both customers or providers) to 
handle redirects.

6. Attribute Collections
I'm sceptical about not having a style attribute.

6.2 I18N Attribute Collection
> Attribute representing the linguistic root of a word
> A 'root of word' attribute for common
I think I know why this is requested.
E.g. the German language and many others are full of Anglicisms. That would 
improve aural presentation of a page.
Or look at words like zeitgeist, leitmotif or kindergarten.
zeitgeist and kindergarten could be marked up with xml:lang, but what do you 
do with zeitgeisty or leitmotif?
On the other hand, how many will use that?

6.5 Hypertext Attribute Collection
I really like the idea having such an attribute collection.
I like the idea making hyperlinks even more central to HTML.
I just wonder why it's "href" instead of "xlink:href".
I assume it is because of the semantic link with rev and rel attributes.

6.6 Embedding Attribute Collection
The idea is absolutely great. That way I could use:
<span src="logo.svg"><span src="logo.png"></span></span>
This is great!

6.7 Image Map Attribute Collection
I also like that idea. I also like attaching it to other elements than img, 
thought this really might be considered featurism.
But I want to note that it is somewhat restricted.
Someone can't make a SVG scaled in relative units by CSS being an image map 
externally through HTML because the Length type of HTML is not powerful 
enough.

7. XHTML Structure Module
I agree with a change in the namespace being required because XHTML 2 can not 
be considered compatible with XHTML 1.x / HTML 4 anymore, I think.
About the footer suggestion: Though I like the idea, I'm against it because it 
can be achieved with div and CSS.

7.3 The title element
I want to suggest allowing Inline content in title. User Agents extracting the 
title for their window titles shold extract the title's text content using 
what can be expressed by XPath with /html/head/title//text().
This would reduce the duplication of title by repeating it in headings. But in 
headings I'd might want to use Inline markup, e.g.
<h>The <code>&lt;html/&gt;</code> element</h>
So it should be possible in title, too.
On the other hand, this requires some changes in some special user agents like 
search engines as well.

8. XHTML Text module
Suggestion about nr element
I'm not really sure wether that is neccessary.

8. XHTML Text module
Splitting into an inline and a block module?
I'd really appreciate this. There always has been some confusion at user agent 
vendors wether rarely used elements like q or address are block or inline per 
default (despite the fact that the W3C's recommendations are really 
reasonably clear about that).
Splitting would really clearify this.

8.1 abbr
I agree with removing acronym because it is very confusing. The battle about 
when to use or not to use acronym finally comes to an end.

8.9 headings
I'd even not include h1-h6, not just deprecate them. Remove them. With section 
and h, they're not required anymore.

8.10 The hr element
You have my vote for renaming it to seperator.
But I'd not remove it. It is quite useful to provide information about a 
really seperated section, e.g. the footer at the bottom of a document 
containing webmaster mail, copyright, last modified etc., even when style 
sheets are not available.

8.12 The l element
I really appreciate that it's <l/> and not <line/> since it will be used very 
often:
<address><l>Company</l><l>Street</l><l>Zip City</l><l>Country</l></address>
I like <br/> being removed in favour of <l/>. Stops abusage of <br/> for 
layout.
But I suggest replacing "sinle line of text" by "single line of text" ;-)

8.15 The quote element
Why has q been renamed to quote?
Not that it really matters, just asking.

8.17 The section element
This is one of my favorite enhancements.
Oh how much I like that!
No more changing h-numbers when changing chapter <-> section <-> subsection.

9. XHTML Hypertext Module
Hmm. I'd drop that, since a and span don't differ. And I'd rename span to s 
then.

10.2 The nl element and 10.5 The label element
I like this. No more abuse of <br />, <table/> or <ul/> for this.

12. XHTML Linking module
Perhaps some requirements for user agents to at least process these and make 
them accessible by the user should be specified.
Currently, Mosaic, Netscape / Mozilla and lynx are the only user agents I know 
that process link elements other than those linking to stylesheets.
But link is one of the most useful HTML elements ever since, I think.

13. XHTML Metainformation Module
I do not agree with omitting the scheme attribute, I liked it.
I suggest:
1. Remove the profile attribute from the HTML element.
2. Add a Scheme element with a name attribute and a profile attribute to the 
content model of head:
<html xml:lang="en">
<head>
<scheme name="acmecore" profile="http://www.acme.com/profiles/core"/>
<scheme name="CVS" profile="http://www.cvshome.org/"/>
<scheme name="ITCQIS" profile="http://www.itcqis.com/"/>
<meta scheme="CVS" name="Header">$Id$</meta>
<meta scheme="CVS" name="Log">
$Log$
</meta>
<meta scheme="ITCQIS" name="TODO">German translation</meta>
<meta scheme="ITCQIS" name="TODO">Add new photos</meta>
<meta scheme="acmecore" name="keywords">holiday, usa, canada, niagara, niagara 
falls</meta>
<meta scheme="acmecore" name="description">photo gallery of our holiday trip 
to niagara falls</meta>
<title>photo gallery of our holiday trip to niagara falls</title>
</head>
<body>
...
</body>
</html>
That way it is possible to use several profiles at once.


14. XHTML Object Module
I like seeing those proprietary attributes like classid being removed.

F. References
I'd like to see XHTML 2.0 defining everything and not relying on good old 
HTML4 as normative reference.
HTML 4 should be referred to as an informative reference only.


Bye
- -- 
ITCQIS GmbH
Christian Wolfgang Hujer
Geschäftsführender Gesellschafter
Telefon: +49  (0)89  27 37 04 37
Telefax: +49  (0)89  27 37 04 39
E-Mail: Christian.Hujer@itcqis.com
WWW: http://www.itcqis.com/
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Received on Thursday, 27 March 2003 09:57:31 UTC