Re: [xml-dev] Difference between "normalize" and "canonicalize"?

[Chris Burdess <dog@bluezoo.org>]

Costello, Roger L. wrote:
> Consider these two sentences:
>
>
> 1. When an XML parser reads in an XML document it normalizes all  
> line breaks to \n.
>
> 2. A canonicalizer tool will canonicalize empty elements to start- 
> tag, end-tag pairs.
>
>
> Both "normalize" and "canonicalize" seem to mean:
>
>   Put into a standard form.
>
> Do they in fact mean the same thing? If so, why have two terms? Why  
> not have just one term?


Canonicalisation is stronger than normalisation, it implies that there  
is only one correct form whereas normalisation may result in numerous  
acceptable, more constrained forms.
-- 
Chris Burdess