RE: [xml-dev] How to handle "newline" characters in an XML parser.

["Len Bullard" <cbullard@hiwaay.net>]

He would definitely want to control the distribution and contracts, squeeze
down the network a bit, yes.  I can't quarrel with the effort if it is
useful with some subset of the web community, but in effect, that is what he
is subsetting:  the definition of his user base.  Even then, it isn't
correct to say he does no one a service, just that such a service cannot by
definition have the reach of XML so it does no one a service to make the
claim that it is XML.  

Given that XML does not have a means to express a subset of itself and some
subset of the web user community might find such a thing useful, it is a
weakness of XML declaratively although nothing stops him from making an
instance conformant unless he actually breaks the syntax in so doing.  So
the best and only advice one can give for such a requirement is to return to
SGML and write their own SGML Declaration, in effect, go to the parent and
create a different subset of SGML.  

Lots of luck selling that one. :-)

len

From: Michael Kay [mailto:mike@saxonica.com] 

> I'm so looking forward to the messages from users saying "how 
> do I get [tool x] to serialize my data in a form that the 
> Redefined.Horizons parser will accept?"
> 
> Subsetting XML does no-one a service.
> 
> That's what SGML said about XML.  Kettle is black.

Alright, I'll qualify my statement. Subsetting XML does no one a service
unless the subset is likely to achieve widespread agreement and support.

Michael Kay
http://www.saxonica.com/