Architectural Forms (was Re: [xml-dev] XHTML 2.0 and the death)

Uche Ogbuji:
> > (and architectural forms).  
> 
> So how often do you use architectural forms?

Actually, I use them all them all the time.  I use a weak and maybe
corrupt version called the CLASS attribute in HTML, but it's really
handy for saying things like "this DIV is really a PRODUCT_NUMBER".  CSS
does nicely with that, and so can XSLT.

I haven't used AFs for attributes since XLink dropped them, but elements
are more typically what concerns me.

> I must say that for the vocabularies I deal with, I prefer XLink's
> current approach to the AF approach.  It's possible that I would feel
> differently about this is XML had an AF mechanism that was as simple
> and widespread as XML Namespaces.

I think namespaces are widely supported, yes.  Whether namespaces are
actually as good an idea as AFs (or as simple in principle) is still a
topic for some hot debate.  Check the archives for postings by Arjun Ray
or Steven Newcomb for more details on this.

The deeper we get into namespaces, the more I appreciate AFs.  I can't
say I thought that would happen.  

-- 
Simon St.Laurent
Ring around the content, a pocket full of brackets
Errors, errors, all fall down!
http://simonstl.com