XML Base PER

This is a comment on the XML Base Second Edition PER, from the Forms  
Working Group.

The value of the xml:base attribute is interpreted as a Legacy Extended  
IRI (LEIRI). The characters allowed in a LEIRI include %x0-1F which aren't  
all allowed in XML 1.0; maybe a note to point out that xml:base doesn't  
support all Legacy Extended IRIs but only a subset would be welcome.

Consuming applications of the new edition might have failures in  
attributes expecting only URIs unless the application language is rev'd to  
both include this new version of base AND upgrade all URIs to IRIs at the  
same time. It seems like there should at least be a note to point that out.

It is not clear from the spec about what is permitted to be considered a  
URI in a host language. The spec refers to URIs everywhere, without  
exactly specifying what qualifies. In particular we hope that XML Base may  
be used at any point some value is interpreted as a relative URI/IRI, even  
if that value isn't a URI per se.

It would be nice to have an example of an xml:base with an actual IRI in  
it.

In the list of changes it states "The definition of URI reference has been  
switched from RFC2396 to 3986", but we couldn't locate that definition.  
Presumably it should be in section 2.

Best wishes,

Steven Pemberton
For the XForms WG

Received on Wednesday, 11 June 2008 10:42:24 UTC