Re: [xml-dev] Why is an attribute used to name/identify a chunk ofmarkup

[Peter Flynn <peter@silmaril.ie>]

On 27/02/2022 16:22, G. Ken Holman wrote:
> Attribute vs. element has been long debated since SGML days. I think 
> someone may have picked up the movie rights.
Certainly NOT the SGML FAQ (http://www.flightlab.com/~joe/sgml/faq-not.txt):

>> Q. I'm designing my first DTD.  Should I use elements or 
>>    attributes to store data?
>> 
>> A. Of course.  What else would you use?
>> 
>> 
>> Q. What is the usual way to choose between using attributes >>    and children?
>> 
>>    [Update from David Carlisle:]
>> 
>>    In England, the normal method is to flip a coin in the air 
>>    and call heads it's attributes, tails it's children.
>> 
>>    Unfortunately I'm not sure what to suggest in other countries
>>    where you can't guarantee having the Queen's head on one side
>>    of every coin.

Peter