XML Linking and Style: embedding non-XML content

Section 4.1 of the W3C Note XML Linking and Style describes "A
Conceptual Model for Styling Link Traversal":
http://www.w3.org/TR/xml-link-style/#sec-link-traversal-concepts

While this proposal does provide a close examination of situations
involving the embedding of XML content into XML documents and the
stylistic consequences, it does so in a relatively narrow context.

There is no discussion of MIME content-type processing or negotiation or
consideration of formats which are not XML documents.  It seems
reasonable to suggest that a document creator might well mix SVG and PNG
images, for instance, in the same document, using conventions like those
surrounding the HTML IMG element and the expectation that the browser
will handle the MIME details.

Also, probably because of the XSL focus, there is no discussion of the
fact that CSS presently lacks any mechanism for supporting things like
image inclusion:

Cited from: http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-CSS2/sample.html
>The full presentation of some HTML elements cannot be expressed in
>CSS2, including replaced elements (IMG, OBJECT)

The current draft of this Note appears to have no discussion whatsoever
of "replaced elements", though they represent a common use case for
XLink's embed functionality.

Similarly, the only published work on such "replaced elements" in CSS3
appears to be on their color profiles:
http://www.w3.org/TR/css3-roadmap/#iccprof

There is mention of "Replaced Content", plans to create "A module
explaining how replaced content is handled and what qualifies as
replaced content", though it currently offers only a ???:
http://www.w3.org/TR/css3-roadmap/#replaced

There are a lot of parts which need to be coordinated here which the
current draft of XML Linking and Style has not acknowledged.

Simon St.Laurent
http://www.simonstl.com

Received on Wednesday, 20 June 2001 13:16:51 UTC