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Would you mind providing an example? I'm afraid I don't follow.
Thanks.
Regards,
Autumn
Dare Obasanjo wrote:
> Why don't you use namespaces? This seems to be exactly what they were designed for.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Autumn Cuellar [mailto:a.cuellar@auckland.ac.nz]
> Sent: Sun 9/22/2002 10:16 PM
> To: xml-dev@lists.xml.org; XML-L@LISTSERV.HEANET.IE
> Cc:
> Subject: [xml-dev] Dilemma: dot notation or attribute
>
>
>
> Hello,
>
> I'll try to explain my dilemma as briefly as possible and maybe you
> could offer suggestions. I want to be able to import one document with
> the root element <model> into another document with the same root
> element and then access element content in the imported "model". We've
> considered two ways of doing this.
>
> The dot notation method:
> <model>
> <import_model name="example"
> uri="http://www.example.com/sample_model.xml"; />
>
> <variable name="A" units="example.meter_per_cm2"/>
> </model>
>
> The above method effectively aliases "example" to the sample model uri,
> and then the variable can reference units defined in another model by
> listing the model nickname and the units separated by a dot.
>
> The attribute method:
> <model>
> <import_model name="example"
> uri="http://www.example.com/sample_model.xml"; />
>
> <variable name="A" units="meter_per_cm2" units_model="example" />
> <model>
>
> The attribute method is similar, however, the imported model is
> referenced via a specific attribute.
>
> Neither method is exactly XML-happy. You expect the attribute value to
> be a literal value with no hidden meaning for a processor to detect, as
> would be necessary with the dot notation. However, there have been
> instances where groups give certain meaning to parts of an attribute
> value. XML Schema uses the xsd: namespace prefix in attribute values to
> indicate that data types have already been defined by the XML Schema
> language. And the attribute method bothers me because the "units_model"
> attribute is qualifying another attribute instead of the element it's
> placed on. I've never seen another XML language do this before. Does
> anyone know of a standard case in which an attribute describes another
> attribute?
>
> Do you have a preference of one method over the other, and why? Can you
> think of another approach that I've missed?
>
> Thanks for your time!
> --
> Autumn A. Cuellar
> Bioengineering Institute
> The University of Auckland
> New Zealand
>
>
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