CSS3 module: W3C selectors

I just read the Last Call Working Draft of CSS3 module: W3C selectors and
have a question.
Why is the W3C selector syntax such a departure from XPath syntax?

XPath seems perfect for selector functionality.
It is already used for accessing nodes in the XML DOM, XSLT, etc.

I'm just now getting into CSS in detail, and perhaps this is a
backward-compatibility issue.
Does CSS1 or CSS2 already contain the W3C selector type of node addressing?
Or, does XPath fall short of what is required for CSS3 selectors?
If not, it seems a shame to introduce another syntax when we could hit the
ground running with an existing one.

Perhaps I should have checked the www-style archives before asking this
question. :-)

Thanks for listening,
Jeff Carlson
Independent Consultant
SpectacleOne Software, Inc.

Received on Saturday, 3 February 2001 22:14:41 UTC