Re: Doctypes, Declarations, and HTML Versions

Russell O'Connor wrote
>Interesting.  The advantages of an HTML architecture is that it is
>an SGML language.  You could extend it with your own elements, or
>restrict it. You could rename elements.  You can change its
>representation with DSSSL, you can create new kinds of links with
>Hytime.  With SGML you can define parsed and unparsed entities,
>etc. mix in different SGML architectures like DSSSL (or what
>Math ML could be).  There would be even more possibilites
>for developers of pages and still no dependencies on server
>sides.  All done with ISO standards, no need to make anything
>new up.

The point is that XML is designed to be easily parsed by browsers, SGML does
not. Too
complicated for the net. You cannot currently extend HTML and rely on your pages
to
be rendered in most common browsers. That is why XML was developed. There are
very interesting comparisions between SGML and XML around that explains why
SGML,
surely a more complete language, does not suits the criteria for a net-based
metalanguage.

Dr. Dario de Judicibus - IBM Global Services
ICM EMEA South Region Deployment Support Leader
EMEA Knowledge Management Consulting Group
Tel: +39-06-596-62531 --- Fax: +39-06-596-65432

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Received on Tuesday, 12 October 1999 04:24:21 UTC