RE: Schema for schemas and XML schema DTD

I think there are two scenarios to consider.  In the case that the schema 
document is being read by a schema processor that implements the 
mechanisms of our specification, we get to say how the schema document is 
interpreted.  For example, we could state into schemas specification that 
the processor must behave as if the defaults specified in the DTD are 
applied.  That does not necessarily mean that all schema processors will 
be built on top of existing general-purpose XML 1.0 processors, or that we 
require all the other aspects of DTD validation for the schema document, 
etc..  (Maybe we should state such a requirement, and in that sense make 
the DTD normative, but we at least have the option not to.)

On the other hand, one of the reasons that we use XML to represent schema 
documents is so that a variety of other standard XML tools can be applied 
to schemas.  For example, XSL can be used to format or transform a schema 
document, and so on.  These are the cases, I think, in which it is 
important to state clearly whether we expect schema documents to be 
interpreted according to the XML 1.0 DTD mechanisms; for these purposes, I 
think it is important that we express our expectation in terms of standard 
XML 1.0 concepts of well formedness, validity, etc..  So, I think that is the most important sense in which we must say that 
the DTD is or is not "normative".

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Noah Mendelsohn                                    Voice: 1-617-693-4036
Lotus Development Corp.                            Fax: 1-617-693-8676
One Rogers Street
Cambridge, MA 02142
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Received on Thursday, 2 November 2000 22:15:03 UTC