Validator allows designers to do invalid nesting through <ins>

Hi,

today I have run into an issue with the validator.w3.org which might
or not be a bug in the SGML parser. The issue involves something I
consider an invalid nesting trick which however passes the Markup
Validator with flying colors.

Perhaps I misunderstand XHTML syntax, but according to what little I
know, the following syntax is not allowed:

<p>
Paragraph text
<ul>
<li>List item</li>
<li>List item</li>
</ul>
</p>

<p>
Paragraph text
<address>Address line 1<br />
Address line 2<br />
Address line 3</address>
</p>

So far, this is confirmed by the W3C validator. You cannot nest either
<address> or <ul> within a paragraph container. (<p> can be nested
within <li> up until HTML 4.01 Transitional, as far as I know.)

However, if you surround the invalid nesting with <ins> tags,
validator.w3.org declares the syntax to be valid:

<p>
Paragraph text
<ins>
<ul>
<li>List item</li>
<li>List item</li>
</ul>
</ins>
</p>

<p>
Paragraph text
<ins>
<address>Address line 1<br />
Address line 2<br />
Address line 3</address>
</ins>
</p>

This is probably because <ins> is allowed both inside and outside of
block level tags, so essentially it works like a "Get Out Of Jail
Free" card -- as long as you surround it with <ins>, you can get away
with any nesting you want.

Now here comes the part where I'm wondering: Is this a bug in the
Validator or should this actually be allowed?

I've got a web designer here who swears that the <ins> usage is
completely valid because, after all, validator.w3.org confirms it.
Given this impasse, I'd like to find out who's right -- the web
designer or I -- so I can either whoop in triumph or eat crow and
concede.

Since I do not/can not read the mailing list, it would be much
appreciated if you could send me a response by e-mail.

Viele Gruesse, / Many regards,

Gerald Himmelein
Redaktion c't
 mail: ghi@ctmagazin.de
 Home: http://www.ctmagazin.de/Redaktion/ghi/

-- Randomly selected Quote:
("All work and no joy make Jack a valuable human resource." ghi)

Received on Tuesday, 10 August 2004 18:05:01 UTC