Re: detecting SMIL syntax errors

Hi,

On Mon, 05 Apr 1999 10:36:45 -0400
Philipp Hoschka <ph@w3.org> wrote:

> Given recent problems reported on this list, I thought it may be
> worthwhile to point out that SMIL players will give you syntax errors
> for syntax that does not conform to SMIL 1.0 when you add the following
> line at the top of the SMIL file:
> 
> <!DOCTYPE smil PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD SMIL 1.0//EN"
> "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-smil/SMIL10.dtd">

It seems reasonable and useful. But, can the SMIL community decide the
rule? Since this issue is XML-generic, wide range of consensus should
be required.

Also, it might be a problem that usual XML validaters cannot detect
SMIL-specific syntax errors. For example, while <switch> in <head> can
contain only <layout>'s, the SMIL DTD dose not express this
constraint. Then, a SMIL-unaware parser fail to detect that type of
violation. This problem concern what is a valid SMIL document, or what
is a syntax checking in SMIL. 

If a good XML Schema is achieved, a precisely defined XML validity
will be equivalent to the SMIL validity; ... I expect so.


Thank you,
--
HIYAMA Masayuki <hiyama@glocom.ac.jp>

Received on Thursday, 29 April 1999 20:07:52 UTC