id attribute - SGML ID or SGML NAME?

Both the Strict DTD and the Transitional DTD for HTML 4 list that the "id"
attribute is of the SGML basic type "ID":

http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/sgml/dtd.html#coreattrs
http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/sgml/loosedtd.html#coreattrs
http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/types.html#type-id

However, if you follow the link on the "id" attribute, it brings you to the
"Element identifiers" section of the HTML 4 specification, where it lists
the "id" attribute as being of the SGML basic type "name":

http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/struct/global.html#adef-id
http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/types.html#type-name

For all practical purposes, I don't think it matters, since both types seem
to have the same restrictions.  However, for correctness and consistency, I
think that this discrepency should be addressed (if it has not been
already... I did not see anything in the Errata regarding this discrepency).
In addition, I don't know whether a similar discrepency exists in any of the
XHTML DTDs.

Regards,
Peter Foti

Received on Tuesday, 15 July 2003 12:57:06 UTC