Another errata?

[John Cowan]

Tim Bray scripsit:

> A consequence of this is that
> 
> <html:a href="foo"> is identical to
> <html:a html:href="foo">
> 
> which it might be in some circumstances; but always, for all element
> types and all namespaces?  Tough to buy into.

Why is it so tough?  If the committee decreed it, fine; but I'd like
to see the argument that says the above is implausible.  I find it
eminently plausible.
 
> In my first few implementations of namespace-savvy software, I've had
> no trouble finding the attributes I needed.  What's a scenario that
> causes problems?  -Tim

The trouble is, I think, that people would like to "intern" (uniquify)
every name in an XML document while parsing it.  Element names can
be converted to URI^Qname, where ^ is some separator, and interned
as such; global attribute names likewise.  But it won't do to identify
all foo attributes (unqualified) across the entire document, as they
may be utterly unrelated.

-- 
John Cowan	http://www.ccil.org/~cowan		cowan at ccil.org
	You tollerday donsk?  N.  You tolkatiff scowegian?  Nn.
	You spigotty anglease?  Nnn.  You phonio saxo?  Nnnn.
		Clear all so!  'Tis a Jute.... (Finnegans Wake 16.5)

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