Re: XHTML empty elements

> How can a validating XML parser (that conforms to XML 1.0) check the
> constraint of sec 4.1.6 that it is an error to write <br></br>?

Stefan,
section 4.1.6 says 'Empty elements must end with />. For instance, <br /> or
<hr />'.

it does not say that <br></br> is an error in XML.

Admittedly it is not clear, but if you are going to call your document an
XHTML document you should write <br/>.  Hopefully the issue you brought up
will be clearer when the draft comes to reommendation status!

Frank (speaking for myself)
----- Original Message -----
From: Stefan Mintert <mintert@irb.cs.uni-dortmund.de>
To: <www-html@w3.org>
Cc: <mintert@irb.cs.uni-dortmund.de>
Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 1999 8:51 AM
Subject: XHTML empty elements


>
>
> Hi!
>
> I already asked this before, but still have problems:
>
>
>
> Section 4.1.6 (of http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-html-in-xml/) about 'Empty
> Elements' contains this statement:
>
> "Empty elements must end with />. For instance, <br /> or <hr />."
>
>
>
>
> Earlier I asked:
>
> >Is it not allowed to write <br></br> in XHTML?
>
>
> and Frank Boumphrey answered (thanks Frank)
>
>
>  > Yes XML allows you to do this, however to be compatible with down level
>  > browsers it is suggested you write <br />. Note the space before the
>  > vertical slash.
>  >
>  > This is a gross hack based on the fact that when parsing an element
most
>  > browsers look for either a 'space' or a '>' to read the element name.
>  >
>  > However in future browsers using an XML engine, you should be able to
use
>  > the syntax you suggested.
>
>
> I understand the compatibility issue, but I still think that the statement
> in 4.1.6 is a problem, because of the br element type declaration in
> http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-html-in-xml/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd which is:
>
> <!ELEMENT br EMPTY>
>
>
> How can a validating XML parser (that conforms to XML 1.0) check the
> constraint of sec 4.1.6 that it is an error to write <br></br>?
>
> Is it an error? WD-html-in-xml only says that <br /> is correct and that
> <br> is incorrect but nothing about <br></br>. After reading section 3.1
> Document Conformance ("It must validate against one of the three DTDs
found
> in Appendix A.") I guess that <br></br> is not an error (at least I hope
so),
> but it's not explictly said in the WD.
>
>
>
> Wouldn't it be better to change 4.1.6 in this way (quoted from XML spec)
>
> "If an element is empty, it must be represented either by a start-tag
> immediately followed by an end-tag or by an empty-element tag. [...]"
>
>
> and to move the compatibility suggestion to Appendix C "Guidelines"?
>
>
>
>
> Thanks in advance for any answer.
>
>
> Bye,
>
>   Stefan.
>
> +-----------------------------------------------------------+
>   Stefan Mintert
>        UniDo:    mintert@irb.informatik.uni-dortmund.de
>        private:  stefan@mintert.com
> +-----------------------------------------------------------+
>
>
>         "let the music keep our spirits high..."
>
>                                 (Jackson Browne)
>
>
>

Received on Wednesday, 5 May 1999 09:38:52 UTC