Re: URL better than FPI

David Carlisle wrote:
[...] 
> I agree, in an ideal world this would be true. But in XML as currently
> defined main point is that you _do_ need two: a canonical name and a
> system address (it matters not too much whether the canonical name is
> based on FPI or URI conventions)
> 
> XML does not mandate support for any particular catalog syntax or
> support for http. Thus if as Dan Connolly suggested XHTML mandated
> that all conforming XHML documents start
> SYSTEM "http://www.w3.org/....."
> or
> PUBLIC "xxx"  "http://www.w3.org/....."
> 
> Then the end result would be that many (perhaps the majority) of
> validating XML parsers would not be able to even parse a conforming
> XHTML document.
> 
> In a section on conformance you should restrict yourself to features
> that you know are available in a conforming XML system. Unfortunately
> that means for XML the _only_ thing you have available is to suggest
> editing the document so that the system identifier points to a copy of
> the dtd usable on your system. That means, if you want to also have
> a canonical name in the doctype declaration, XHTML has to use the
> only other available slot, which is the public identifier.
> 
> This is the main reason why I think XHTML has to use the public
> identifier, it is nothing to do with the merits of FPI versus
> URI, it is just to do with the lack of a mandated standard
> resolution mechanism for external identifiers.

Exactly, and much more succinct than I would have written. Thank you.

Murray

...........................................................................
Murray Altheim                            <mailto:altheim&#x40;eng.sun.com>
XML Technology Center
Sun Microsystems, Inc., MS MPK17-102, 1601 Willow Rd., Menlo Park, CA 94025

   the honey bee is sad and cross and wicked as a weasel 
   and when she perches on you boss she leaves a little measle -- archy

Received on Monday, 21 February 2000 05:07:52 UTC