xml-dev - RE: XSchema Question 4: XML 1.0/XSchema interactions

["Simon St.Laurent" <SimonStL@classic.msn.com>]

Peter Murray-Rust wrote:
>     - should we allow DTD subsets and XSchemas to be mixed in a         >    
    document instance (whether delivered externally or internally)

and

>     - should XSchemas attempt to provide the function of parameter 
>        entities *explicitly*?
>     - should XSchemas encourage the use of *general/text* entities. 
>        Note we cannot forbid them unless we forbid the use of DTD 
>        subsets with XSchemas (Q3).

_If_ XSchemas replace DTD usage for a particular application completely, it is 
possible that the parser won't know how to deal with general entities declared 
the DTD way.  I don't think that's likely in the current situation, because 
we'll be building on parsers that need to be able to handle well-formed 
documents, including entities.

Should the old DTDs become deprecated and parsers no longer support them, this 
could be a significant issue.  In the current mixed environment (I know that's 
optimistic - there is no mix _yet_) I think we can count on non-validating 
parsers to support entity handling.

I don't think it's wise for this proposal (1.0) to explicitly provide 
replacements for *any* entity mechanisms.  Paul Prescod has given a list of 
good reasons why text replacement and schemas should be separated.  We should 
keep in mind that XSchemas will need to operate in concert with text 
replacement mechanisms, however.

(Maybe Paul could set up XEntity.)

This still leaves the core question:
>Should the use of traditional DTD entity (and other) notation be 
>encouraged in the design, development, and use of XSchemas?

I know that people are going to use traditional notation anyway; should we 
encourage it? (I don't think forbidding it makes sense.  Not mentioning it 
might make sense.)

Simon St.Laurent
Dynamic HTML: A Primer / XML: A Primer / Cookies


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