Re: [CSS3] xml namespace

On Tue, 26 Apr 2005, Henry S. Thompson wrote:
>>>>
>>>> What's the use case? [for binding 'xml' to the XML namespace 
>>>> automatically]
>>> 
>>> I have no idea
>>
>> I am very reluctant for us to add features without good use cases, 
>> especially when they make things more complicated.
> 
> I hear you, but you are operating in a constrained environment here
> --- Insofar as you're adding namespace support to CSS3, you really
> ought to do so in a way that respects the Namespace REC itself as
> closely as possible.

Namespaces in CSS aren't just limited to applying to namespaces in XML 
(The CSS model in general applies to more than XML, it applies to any tree 
structure).


> It simply confuses users if you take almost-all-but-not-quite of what 
> that REC says, and it says that 'xml' is pre-bound exclusively and 
> irrevocably to 'http://www.w3.org/XML/1998/namespace' and _vice versa_.

I would argue that most users don't know that 'xml' is bound to anything 
and that most users will never use it.


> I don't see how it makes things more complicated for _users_, and it's 
> trivial for implementors.

Many things are trivial. Together they add up to a QA nightmare of 
exceptions on exceptions.

-- 
Ian Hickson               U+1047E                )\._.,--....,'``.    fL
http://ln.hixie.ch/       U+263A                /,   _.. \   _\  ;`._ ,.
Things that are impossible just take longer.   `._.-(,_..'--(,_..'`-.;.'

Received on Tuesday, 26 April 2005 17:13:10 UTC