Re: And the DTD says, "I'm NOT dead yet!!"

[ht@cogsci.ed.ac.uk (Henry S. Thompson)]

Caroline Clewlow <cclewlow@eris.dera.gov.uk> writes:

> I can see that XML schema does not cover entity declarations - but RELAX claims
> that it's use of hedgeRules allows the creation and naming of a hedge model
> that mimics the way parameter entities are used in DTD's.  Is this the same
> kind of entity, as the word seems to be used in a number of different contexts
> ?
> 
> If anyone can clarify this for me ?  Thanks !

Neither XML Schema nor RELAX provide a direct replacement for XML 1.0
DTD's general entities.

Both XML Schema and RELAX are encoded in XML documents, and so
general entities (e.g. declared in internal subsets) can be used to
directly reconstruct the functionality of parameter entities as text
substitution macros in XML 1.0 DTDs.  But in my judgement you would be 
wrong to do so.

Both XML Schema and RELAX provide facilities within the document
structure definition language they define which allow you to
reconstruct most of the well-behaved functionality of parameter
entities as software engineering aid in XML 1.0 DTDs.  In my judgement 
the XML Schema facilities are sufficient to eliminate the need for
parameter entities.  I don't know enough about RELAX to make a similar 
claim for it.

ht
-- 
  Henry S. Thompson, HCRC Language Technology Group, University of Edinburgh
          W3C Fellow 1999--2001, part-time member of W3C Team
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