Modules (was Re: namespaces )

[james anderson]

you wrote:

> You may also be interested in the "Module" proposals, which were suggested for
> inclusion into SGML. The idea started in Japan and has floated around getting
> firmer and simpler over the last year of XML discussions.
>
> The idea is simply to use any parameter entity name as a module prefix.
> So you could have, for example (though presumably it would use external
> parameter entities, not internal like in this example)

it looks intriguing.

i'm not certain that it is necessary to make the pseudo-hierarchical namespace
automatic. if i understand the illustration correctly, the point is to be able to
avoid conflicts among otherwise identical symbols. the same would be possible in a
simpler two-level namespace (package::symbol) by appropriately selecting the
package names. granted, inclusion by entity reference would not guarantee
uniqueness without this, but if, as you noted, the intended application is external
entities, one would need only to implement an entity bound to the name of the
current namespace in order to be able to construct hierarchical values for the "as"
attribute dynamically (wrt the "microsoft" proposal) with a form like
    <?NAMESPACE HREF="http://some-dtd" AS="&NAMESPACE;::SD" ?>

on one hand achieving this with the "microsoft" proposal requires more attention,
but, on the other, it allows you to choose merge namespaces if so desired, by
including an entity, or to separate them by specifying the hierarchy when including
via a namespace.

do you have a source for more information?
thanks, bye


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