Is XML getting too hard? (was: Re: More on Namespaces...)

[Simon St.Laurent]

David Megginson writes:
>What frightens me is the danger that some people might forget about
>layering and try to overload the XML core.  XML 1.0 has some warts,
>but in general, it's beautifully simple.  I have no objection to
>seeing RDF, DCD, Namespaces, etc. built *on top of* XML, but I don't
>want to see them built *into* XML -- imagine if every program that
>worked with ASCII had to be able to parse C++ as well, or if every IP
>router had to know about HTTP!

David's got it right, though routers are learning more about HTTP all the 
time. (_Expensive_ ones, anyway.)

I think layering may provide an elegant answer to the schema/feature 
clusterbombing we're experience now, though it too may require some 
reconfiguration of XML.  Basically, it looks like we have:

* Core syntax (<, >, / - elements, attributes, the XML declaration)
* Minimization (entities and their friends, plus lots of other charmers)
* Schemas (DTDs, DCDs, XSchemas, RDF, etc.)
* Data typing (Goes with schemas, but I'd like to see it independent of any 
particular schema)
* Linking (XLink)
* Referencing (XPointer) [Yes, I know I'm making a questionable distinction.]
* Styling (CSS, XSL)
* Core syntax extensions - namespaces, xml:lang, xml:space

We need to find a way to keep these things separate while making sure they can 
work with each other, and not muddy the name XML too terribly. If 
understanding XML is going to require namespaces and RDF, a lot of folks are 
going to choke.  If XML is about elements and attributes and the rest of it is 
gravy, then I think we'll be all right.

I was going to write a very grumpy essay about this, but it looks like it's a 
widely held concern that people in the right places will likely notice, so 
I'll keep the fire and brimstone to a minimum.

Simon St.Laurent
Dynamic HTML: A Primer / XML: A Primer / Cookies


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