Conformance in XML processors

[David Megginson]

James Clark writes:

 > The only things I expect of a validating processor that I don't expect
 > of a non-validating processor are:
 > 
 > - processing the external DTD subset
 > 
 > - processing parameter entity references
 > 
 > - reporting violations of validity constraints
 > 
 > - reporting that character data is ignorable white space

I think that James would have to add "processing external text
entities" to that list, since the PR labels them as "included if
validating," implying that non-validating parsers need not include
them.

In other words, to turn your list (with my addition) on its head, a
conforming, non-validating (or <socalled>well-formed</socalled>) XML
parser is required to support nearly everything in the PR, with only
the following exceptions:

[Information Returned]
 1. It is not required to process the external DTD subset.
 2. It is not required to process parameter entity references.
 3. It is not required to report that character data is ignorable
    white space.
 4. It is not required to process external text entities.

[Error Reporting]
 5. It is not required to report violations of validity constraints.

The validity constraints -- that it is not required to report --
relate largely to the DTD, especially (but not exclusively) to
attribute declarations and content models.


All the best,


David

-- 
David Megginson                 ak117 at freenet.carleton.ca
Microstar Software Ltd.         dmeggins at microstar.com
      http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/dmeggins/

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