RE: [xml-dev] "XML is just syntax" versus "Use semantic markup" (Is thi

["Xia Li" <xli@galdosinc.com>]

I would say the tags themselves do not bear any meaning. Only when tags
are associated with some agreed upon vocabularies by additional
mechanisms or common sense, can they provide semantic meanings. 

Lisa
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Costello, Roger L. [mailto:costello@mitre.org] 
Sent: Sunday, March 09, 2008 5:49 AM
To: xml-dev@lists.xml.org
Subject: [xml-dev] "XML is just syntax" versus "Use semantic markup" (Is
this a paradox?)

Hi Folks,

I have often heard it said: "XML is just syntax."

I have equally often heard it said: "Use semantic markup."

How can XML be "just syntax" and also be "semantic markup"?

Is this a paradox?

Let me take a go at resolving this seeming paradox:

1. Tags are indeed just syntax.  They provide a mechanism for
structuring the data.

2. Tags are created by a specification, which define what each tag
means.  When constructing an XML document, there may be a choice of
tags, say <ABC> and <XYZ>, which may be used to wrap a particular datum
(item of data).  Suppose the specification gave tag <ABC> a general
meaning and tag <XYZ> a specific meaning. Compare:

    <ABC>datum</ABC>

versus

    <XYZ>datum</XYZ>

We say that the later is using "semantic markup."  This means: those
applications which have been implemented to understand the tag-set will
gain more information about 'datum' from the <XYZ> tag than from the
<ABC> tag.

Let me repeat the last sentence:

"... will gain more information about 'datum' from the <XYZ> tag than
the <ABC> tag." 

Hmm, sounds to me like the tags are providing more than just syntax.
The tags are providing information/meaning/semantics about 'datum'.

This paradox is unresolved in my mind.

Care to take a go at resolving this paradox?

/Roger

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