Attribute Models

Should the XML Schema--Structure Specification provide mechanisms for
selecting between different attribute models?

For example, given a <date> element which encloses dates of any format, a
person may wish to normalize the date within one or more attribute values
for processing in another application.  One option would be to use one
attribute with a datatype of "date".  Another would be to split the date
into respective "year", "month", and "day" attributes.  Another two would
be to split the date into "year"+"week"+"day" or even "year"+"day" attributes.

Another example would be the HTML <a> element, which can act as a link
originator (with the "href" attribute) and/or as a link destination (with
the "name" attribute).

In the schema you may not want to be limited to one option, but you may
also want to allow ONLY one option, whichever it may be, for a particular
instance of the element (i.e. only one date normalization option per
element or mutually exclusive link originators and anchors in my two
examples, respectively).



******************************************
  Richard E. Rathmann           
  REMSA Contractor              
  NOAA Coastal Services Center  
  2234 S Hobson Ave             
  Charleston, SC  29405-2413    
  (843) 740-1314                
  (843) 740-1224  (fax)         
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Received on Friday, 28 May 1999 12:37:26 UTC