enumeration and defaults

[Simon St.Laurent]

For the record, this does have an impact on XHTML (potentially significant,
at that), but is not about namespaces or W3C process, and I'd like to keep
it that way.  However, I am using the XML-dev archives for reference,
hoping to reduce the byte-volume of the list and see how well it works.

I received two separate replies to my question regarding enumeration and
defaulting, one from Tim Bray, and one from John Cowan, which he's
graciously let me post publicly.  They take opposite positions on an issue
with XML 1.0 that has an impact on the current XHTML's formulation, at
least in the transitional and frameset varieties.

My original question:
http://www.lists.ic.ac.uk/hypermail/xml-dev/xml-dev-Sep-1999/0606.html
(basically, is it legit to use #IMPLIED on the declaration for an
enumerated attribute type and NOT specify a value in the document.)

At 05:22 PM 9/10/99 -0400, John Cowan wrote:
http://www.lists.ic.ac.uk/hypermail/xml-dev/xml-dev-Sep-1999/0636.html
(basically, yes. XHTML does it.)

At 02:32 PM 9/10/99 -0700, Tim Bray wrote:
http://www.lists.ic.ac.uk/hypermail/xml-dev/xml-dev-Sep-1999/0609.html
(basically, no, but it would be nice to see in schemas.)

The relevant references for XHTML, if anyone needs them, are at:
http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/transitional.dtd
http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/frameset.dtd
(search for ATTLIST ul to get to a section where this matters)

I think we have a use-case staring us in the face, in a DTD. Does this mean
that XHTML is wrong, or that the more generous interpretation (John
Cowan's) holds?


Simon St.Laurent
XML: A Primer (2nd Ed - September)
Building XML Applications
Inside XML DTDs: Scientific and Technical
Sharing Bandwidth / Cookies
http://www.simonstl.com

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