xml-dev - Re: Validating IDREFS...

[Lisa Rein <lisarein@finetuning.com>]

Aren't these the kinds of inconsistencies that need to be "normalized"
(for lack of a better word) so that you could interoperate more easily
with disparate systems irregardless of which technique they chose?

In a perfect world, let's say, you can run a script and convert 
IDREF attributes to their XPointer equivalents, yes?   

Otherwise I sense danger!  Danger will robinson!

lisa

Michael Kay wrote:
> 
> MK>> ... the real difficulty with [IDREFs] is ... the fact
> that they are
> MK>> incompatible with XPointer.
> >
> Chris Maden>That's not true.
> 
> I can use either an IDREF or an XPointer (within an XLink,
> or otherwise) to define a reference by ID to another element
> in the same XML document, but there are differences:
> 
> * The syntax is different ["idval" versus "ID(idval)" or
> "#idval"]
> * I can have several IDREF attributes in an element, but
> only one XLink attribute
> * A dangling IDREF is an error; a dangling XPointer is not
> 
> That is what I mean by saying the two facilities are
> incompatible. Or to put it another way, once I have made a
> design choice to use IDREF or to use XPointer for the links
> in my documents, I am stuck with my choice.
> 
> This is one of several situations in the XML family of
> standards where there is more than one way of doing the same
> thing, and no obvious way to choose between them. As the
> frequency of questions about the element-vs-attribute choice
> shows, this confuses users no end; it also complicates
> software tools.
> 
> MK
> 
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