The org.xml.sax package

[Miles Sabin]

David Megginson wrote,
> It shouldn't be -- SAX's package name (org.xml.sax.*) 
> is secure.  The only issue is that we cannot 
> arbitrarily create package names outside of that 
> hierarchy, since OASIS may use those for other 
> purposes.

Certainly. But there is a bit of a structural problem
here: SAX1 occupies the root of the org.xml.sax
namespace. Andy's proposal would have to be recast
something like this,

  org
    xml
      sax
        parser
          // SAX2 stuff here
          helpers
            // SAX2 stuff here
        dom
          // SAX2 stuff here
          helpers
            // SAX2 stuff here

      // SAX1 stuff here
      helpers
        // SAX1 stuff here

I don't know about you, but to me this sort of
structure suggests that SAX2 is a *subsidiary* part of
SAX1. That's not what he had in mind: for better or
worse he's suggesting a (mostly compatible given
adapters) *replacement* SAX2 API. For me that implies 
they should be peer packages, rather than having a 
parent-child relationship.

Of course, whether you see things that way or not
depends on what kind of java package structure
conventions you adopt, but I think most people follow
the 'sub-package is sub-component' line.

This isn't fatal to Andy's proposal, but it is a bit
of a wart on an idea that otherwise I'm beginning to
warm to.

> Personally, I think that it's a good thing for SAX 
> that its Java package name is built on a .ORG domain 
> that is (now) controlled by a non-profit organization 
> dedicated to advancing XML, rather than by a
> for-profit company (even a nice one like Megginson 
> Technologies).

Agreed, and I hope noone interpreted my comments as
casting aspersions on OASIS.

Cheers,


Miles

-- 
Miles Sabin                          Cromwell Media
Internet Systems Architect           5/6 Glenthorne Mews
+44 (0)181 410 2230                  London, W6 0LJ
msabin at cromwellmedia.co.uk           England

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