Re: XHTML

Somebody pointed out this thread to me, because apparently there were
some incorrect statements made about the status of XSL and CSS in W3C
(and because my name was mentioned...)

As the coordinator for Style in W3C, I can assure you that CSS *does*
apply to XML, and that all the working groups involved, including the
DOM, XSL and CSS working groups, are working under that assumption. (See
e.g., http://www.w3.org/TR/CSS3-selectors,
http://www.w3.org/TR/css3-namespace and, of course,
http://www.w3.org/Style/Activity) Indeed, discussing it would be
pointless, as we have implementations to prove it. (See earlier in this
thread.)

The document http://www.w3.org/Style/CSS-vs-XSL has a diagram that shows
the various ways in which CSS, XSLT and XSL-FOs work together.

And since the DOM was mentioned: CSS is neither in the XML-DOM nor in
the HTML-DOM. Instead there will be a CSS-OM (in DOM level 2), which is
independent of both. See http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-DOM-Level-2/ (There
won't be an XSL-OM, but none is needed either, since you don't need a
separate programming language if you use XSLT.)

(For people interested in history: CSS was originally intended for a
subset of SGML. We expected there to be an "SGML-lite" or a
"well-formed" SGML, which indeed has happened, in the form of XML. So
CSS was ready for XML even before XML existed... See e.g.,
http://www.let.rug.nl/~bert/stylesheets.html near the end, and
http://www.let.rug.nl/%7Ebert/Stylesheets/SGML-Lite.html)

I hope this clears things up.


Bert


PS. I don't read this mailing-list. Find me on www-style@w3.org or mail
me directly.
-- 
  Bert Bos                                ( W 3 C ) http://www.w3.org/
  http://www.w3.org/people/bos/                              W3C/INRIA
  bert@w3.org                             2004 Rt des Lucioles / BP 93
  +33 (0)4 92 38 76 92            06902 Sophia Antipolis Cedex, France

Received on Thursday, 25 November 1999 16:43:32 UTC