Re: [xml-dev] Re: determining ID-ness in XML

[Jeff Rafter <jeffrafter@defined.net>]

> However, we are not saying that every application has to use xml:id.
Certainly not every
> application uses xml:space or xml:lang today, much less xml:base. If the
XHTML folks
> don't want xml:id in their XHTML documents, they don't have to use it.
They don't change
> their DTDs. In fact, they really don't need to change them because
conformant XHTML
> documents already have a DTD, and do have ID type attributes.

This was actually what I was thinking of-- (and John Wilson's recent post
touches on this)-- XHTML is designed to incorporate additional languages--
there is a good chance the YAXMLSpec people will want to use xml:id. They
will incorporate there document structure through modularization and it will
be valid (perhaps)-- but the whole notion of IDness will be lost on older
XHTML browsers-- which were conforming when they were written. This may not
be a major flaw but it seems we are setting up a new browser paradigm (which
I know we often do...). This means folks will need new versions-- which they
may not be able or want to get. I am already imagining a BigCo site that
will reject browsers because they don't meet the requirements of the xml:id
"standard".

Best Regards,
Jeff Rafter
Defined Systems
http://www.defined.net
XML Development and Developer Web Hosting