RE: Last call comments on XML Base

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Paul Grosso [mailto:pgrosso@arbortext.com]
> Sent: Monday, July 10, 2000 9:48 PM
> To: Jonathan Marsh; 'Martin J. Duerst'
> Cc: www-xml-linking-comments@w3.org
> Subject: RE: Last call comments on XML Base
> 
> 
> [apologies for repeat--the comment list address bounced the 
> first time. paul]
> 
> At 11:37 2000 07 10 -0700, Jonathan Marsh wrote:
> >Martin wrote:
> >> 1) XML Base says:
> >>    ...[quote from section 4. elided]
> >
> >I have fixed this.  I ended up with the following wording:
> >
> >-----
> >A relative URI appearing in an xml:base attribute is 
> resolved against the
> >base specified on the xml:base attribute appearing on the 
> owning element's
> >nearest ancestor that has an xml:base attribute element.
> >
> >A relative URI appearing in any other attribute value is 
> resolved against
> >the base specified in the xml:base attribute appearing on 
> the element owning
> >the attribute, if one exists, otherwise the xml:base 
> attribute of the owning
> >element's nearest ancestor that has an xml:base attribute.
> >------
> >
> >Do you find this clear (as well as correct :-)?
> 
> I don't feel these words cover the case where the first 
> (only) xml:base
> in a document is relative, but such is allowable and means 
> the xml:base
> should be relative to the base URI of the document entity.  (The
> original wording didn't either.)

I think it is coverred.  Right after this bullet list appears:
  "In each case, if no ancestor with an xml:base attribute is found, the
base is determined by applying RFC 2396 [IETF RFC 2396] which is summarized
as follows (highest priority to lowest)"

> In fact, in section 4 we 
> should talk 
> less about resolving relative URIs, and rather talk about setting the
> base URI, 

The infoset talks about setting the base URI (as a property).  I tried to
stick with XML structure to reduce overlap and potential inconsistencies.

> and leaving how the base URI is used mostly to RFC 2396 except
> insofar as how a relative URI reference in an xml:base itself 
> is resolved
> (which is definitely for the XML Base spec to say).

Talking about scoping is one level of abstraction from how to resolve
relative URIs.  Why is this needed?  Note that describing scoping gets more
convoluted when recursive xml:base attributes are taken into account.

> So my suggestion for rewording the beginning of section 4 follows:
> 
>   4. Resolving Relative URIs 
> 
>      When XML Base is supported, then an xml:base attribute
>      specification on an element sets the current base URI
>      for the scope of the entire element (including all
>      attribute specifications within that element's start
>      tag) until and unless overridden by an xml:base attribute
>      specification on a descendant element.  That is, the base URI
>      for every element is that determined by the xml:base attribute
>      appearing on that element, if one exists, otherwise by the
>      xml:base attribute of the nearest ancestor of that element
>      having an xml:base attribute.
> 
>      The current base URI in force affects the resolution of
>      relative URIs as follows:  
> 
>      * A relative URI appearing as the value of an xml:base
>        attribute is resolved against the base URI in force
>        within the scope of the parent element of the element
>        containing the xml:base attribute or against the base 
>        URI of the document entity if the element containing
>        the xml:base attribute has no parent.
> 
>      * All other relative URIs are resolved against the base
>        URI in force within the scope of the current element.
>        This includes relative URIs in attribute specifications
>        in the start tag of the current element, relative URIs
>        in text content within the current element, and relative
>        URIs appearing in the content of a processing instruction
>        within the current element.
> 
>      In both cases, the process of resolving the base URI and
>      relative URI is defined by RFC 2396 [IETF RFC 2396].
> 
>      The complete process for determing the base URI is
>      defined by RFC 2396 [IETF RFC 2396] which is summarized
>      as follows (highest priority to lowest):
> 
>      [then continue with the 4 points as in the current WD.]

I don't understand the benefits of such a revision.  I'd like to keep XML
Base as short and stable as possible at this point.

Received on Tuesday, 11 July 2000 10:55:42 UTC