Re: [xml-dev] Can XML documents have loops (cycles)?

[David Carlisle <davidc@nag.co.uk>]

On 10/10/2011 13:28, Costello, Roger L. wrote:
> So would it be accurate to say that:

not really:-)

>
> 1. XML documents may have loops (cycles).

You'd have to define what you mean by "have" in that sentence.
It's true that XML may encode a graph structure through the use of IDREF
attributes, but whether that is the same as "having loops" depends on
your definitions. I'd guess most people would say that it was not the same.

>
> 2. XML parsers just report the loops; XML parsers do not traverse
> them.

No they only have to report the links they do not have to follow the
links so they certainly are not required to detect or report loops in
that structure (which may not be an error).
>
> /Roger

David


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