Re: [xml-dev] Element Occurrence and #PCDATA

[Lauren Wood <lauren@softquad.com>]

Simon St.Laurent wrote:

> On Tue, 2001-11-20 at 09:43, Dan Mabbutt wrote:
> 
>>Jeff,
>>
>>Thanks very much! Your message was "on target" for me.
>>
>>Yes, I did know most of what you wrote (and, in particular, I was aware that
>>the syntax "(#PCDATA)*" is watered down mixed content), but I wasn't
>>completely sure that there was no other possible reason for doing it. I also
>>know that it will validate correctly in the parsers I have tried. That's why
>>I used the word, "meaningful" instead of "incorrect."
>>
> 
> The reason I tend to use (#PCDATA)* is that it's easier to extend later,
> just by slapping in extra elements separated by |.
> 
> The mixed content syntax seems pretty open in fairly silly ways, but
> multiple approaches pass muster.


Another reason to write (#PCDATA)* is to remind people that #PCDATA 
always means 0 or more characters; it's been a while since people wrote 
(#PCDATA)+, thinking thereby (wrongly) to enforce one or more 
characters, but it doesn't hurt to avoid confusion.

Lauren

-- 
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Lauren Wood, Director of Product Technology, SoftQuad Software
Chair, XML 2001 - Information at www.xmlconference.org