CharMod document has conflicting requirements that jam W3C process!

Section 2 of the Character Model, 2001-12-20 draft, says:

	[S] If a existing W3C specification does not conform
	to the requirements in this document, then the
	next version of that specification MUST be modified
	in order to conform.

Section 4.3 says:

	[S] In specifications of markup languages, syntax-
	significant characters MUST be chosen that do not
	combine with any other characters in NFC [...].

Since "<" and ">" do combine with the infamous U+0338, these
two requirements taken jointly imply that no new versions
of HTML-based or XML-based Recommendations may issue unless other
characters are substituted in element tags.

This result cannot be intended!

Either the requirement in 4.3 should be weakened, or XML/HTML
syntax should be explicitly grandfathered despite the
known problems.

-- 
Not to perambulate             || John Cowan <jcowan@reutershealth.com>
    the corridors               || http://www.reutershealth.com
during the hours of repose     || http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
    in the boots of ascension.  \\ Sign in Austrian ski-resort hotel

Received on Thursday, 20 December 2001 12:14:01 UTC