Re: XInclude vs SAX vs validation

[David Brownell <david-b@pacbell.net>]

>   FIXptr allows only those paths IIRC:
>      - 1/2/3/4  : well you may like this pointing language, I don't

Maybe for references to sections of documents like law books,
where numeric references are the standard, it's appropriate.

>      - id[/2/3] : highly unreliable because it requires a DTD + a parser
>                   in validating mode (and DTD may not be available)

The "id" access does NOT require a parser in validating mode!
It only requires reporting the [attribute type] information item.

Admittedly that's only defined for documents with a DTD that
has appropriate ATTLIST declarations, but it's common for
non-validating parsers to expose that information.  After all, they
parsed those attribute decls so they could normalize and default.


>   FIXptr seems targeted at volatile resources, not for documents expected
> to be pointed at over years, edited, updated, etc ...

Actually I think that ID attributes are quite clearly aimed at
stability over years.  Partly because of the observation that
since someone went to the effort of defining them as link
targets in the first place, it's rather likely they'll continue to
be maintained as link targets.

But in any case, stability of link targets is an issue in document
and link upkeep that needs operational solutions; it can't
be purely technical.

- Dave