Namespaces, etc.

[Peter Murray-Rust]

At 03:51 04/02/98 -0500, [many people] wrote [about namespaces,
architectures, etc.]:

I don't want to stifle discussion on XML-DEV, but suggest some guidelines:

1. There is a public draft of the Namespaces paper now, I believe. [Could
someone please confirm this and give the location - I wouldn't like to
refer to a private document]. My understanding is that the W3C is actively
working on namespaces. For this reason I think it is appropriate that
proposals for other ways of developing namespaces (especially those which
require new syntax or semantics) be referred to the appropriate W3C body.
If you aren't a member, but have something to propose I would hope that
chairs will be sympathetic if you mail them.

A major problem with discussing current W3C activity on this list is that
most members/readers do not have up-to-date knowledge of the current W3C
discussions. This can make for confusion, and it would break
confidentiality for a W3C member to say "hang on, we are going down a
different line". The most reasonable thing to do is to discuss the last
public draft of a spec (especially its implementation or experience of
implementation :-) but NOT, IMO, to make suggestions for its revision.

2. I suggest that discussion is limited to *implementing* or *exploring*
the Namespace proposal. The XML spec refers (I think) to "namespace
experiments" and I think that this is the approach we should take - i.e.
discuss experiments with *this* namespace proposal. 

My own approach has been:
	- to create a private namespace experiment
	- to approach WG members to see if it broke confidentiality
	- to wait until the spec was public
	- to distribute it, and a short explanatory note, with the current JUMBO
release. (9801a1)

So, rather than discuss my very simple namespace experiment on this list
(since it has many demerits and will almost certainly be broken by future
namespace developments) you can get it and read it with the distribution.
Its sole merits are that it is actually implemented, works and does
something useful for my applications. If others see it as a way forward I'd
be interested.  I hope to release JUMBO-PLAY shortly and this will
optionally use the namespace proposal.

	P.



Peter Murray-Rust, Director Virtual School of Molecular Sciences, domestic
net connection
VSMS http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/vsms, Virtual Hyperglossary
http://www.venus.co.uk/vhg

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