Re: PIs considered harmful Was: XML-SW, a thought experiment

On Tue, 2002-02-12 at 17:33, Dan Connolly wrote:
> What "institutional animus"? Don't lump us all in one pile.
> How many "imo"s does TimBL need to use before you'll
> let him speak for himself?

TimBL didn't need to say anything for me to believe there was an
institutional animus at the W3C against processing instructions. 

I've been told a number of times that this was the 'final W3C word' on
processing instructions, though phrased rather politely:

---------------
http://www.w3.org/TR/xml-stylesheet/

The use of XML processing instructions in this specification should not
be taken as a precedent. The W3C does not anticipate recommending the
use of processing instructions in any future specification. The
Rationale explains why they were used in this specification.
---------------

Along with the excuse for using them IN THIS CASE:
----------------
http://www.w3.org/TR/xml-stylesheet/#rationale

There was an urgent requirement for a specification for style sheet
linking that could be completed in time for the next release from major
browser vendors. Only by choosing a simple mechanism closely based on a
proven existing mechanism could the specification be completed in time
to meet this requirement.

Use of a processing instruction avoids polluting the main document
structure with application specific processing information.

The mechanism chosen for this version of the specification is not a
constraint on the additional mechanisms planned for future versions.
There is no expectation that these will use processing instructions;
indeed they may not include the linking information in the source
document.
-----------------

The animus has also been noted quite regularly on xml-dev.

-- 
Simon St.Laurent
Ring around the content, a pocket full of brackets
Errors, errors, all fall down!
http://simonstl.com

Received on Tuesday, 12 February 2002 17:42:12 UTC