Re: Why polyglot is needed

On 19/03/2013 20:40 , Henry S. Thompson wrote:
> The point is this is a common situation as technologies transition.

I fully agree that transition strategies is an architectural topic, a 
difficult one at that, and that it could be an interesting subject for a 
finding (likely one more generally on versioning).

But what you're describing isn't a transition problem. You're trying to 
publish XML content to a system that has presumably, in one form or 
another, been serving HTML since before XML existed. It's not seeing 
pains from transitioning from XHTML to HTML — it never supported XHTML 
to start with.

I'd like to remind the TAG that we've worked on this before:

     http://www.w3.org/2010/html-xml/snapshot/report.html

It is customary in groups not to reopen discussions unless there is 
substantive new input. So can anyone clearly tell me what problem:

     a) Isn't solved by placing HTML serialisation at the end of an XML 
tool chain (as supported by XSLT); or
     b) Isn't solved by placing an HTML parser, making use of Infoset 
coercion, at the front of an XML tool chain; and
     c) Is of an architectural nature.

Otherwise, as Chaals says, this is a deployment issue. It is the HTML 
WG's, and the broader HTML community's, job to help XHTML users 
transition to HTML.

I don't have a strong opinion on whether polyglot is an important 
component in helping that happen. I used it for a couple years at first, 
but now that the (non-browser) HTML tool set has sufficiently improved I 
no longer see the need for it. I do however not see where this is a 
current architectural issue. At best it is a problem of improving the 
existing libraries — something I do believe we should encourage and support.

Additionally, I remain convinced that there is a goldmine of value for 
all were the XML community to cast its nighted colour off and not 
forever with its vailèd lids look seek for well-formedness in the dust. 
Something like JSONiq is absolutely wonderful, and XQuery on HTML would 
be very valuable (I know I'd use it).

But that's not an architectural issue either.

-- 
Robin Berjon - http://berjon.com/ - @robinberjon

Received on Wednesday, 20 March 2013 12:25:49 UTC