SUMMARY: XML Validation Issues (was: several threads)

[roddey at us.ibm.com]

>>
>> Chris Lilley wrote:
>>
>> > I don't sense consensus yet on whether client-side validation is
always
>> > desirable; it clearly is in some cases and clearly adds little in
other
>> > cases.
>>
>> Wouldn't it depend on what the client is?
>
>Yes. Which is why I wrote that I don't sense concensus on this - there
>are arguments both for and against; for rewuireing validation, for never
>requiring it, etc.
>

In our second generation parsers, we take the approach that what 'parser'
you use indicates what you want to do. For us, a 'parser' is just a little
glue that wires together some set of the underlying functionality to some
output API. We have validating SAX and DOM parsers, and non-validating SAX
and DOM parsers. If you use a non-validating parser, then it will not
validate, period. If you use a validating parser it will validate (and
require a DTD.)

That scheme seems pretty sane to me. Validation should be something that is
requested, not magically invoked according to the content of the DTD, IMHO.
I would hate for any other rule to come into play, because it would lessen
the flexibility available to the user (whether human or machine.)



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