Re: Embedding Content as Element Content or As An Attribute Value

Marcus Carr (mrc@allette.com.au)
Fri, 09 Jan 1998 15:08:05 +1100


Ray Waldin wrote:

> Of all the answers I've received, the ones referring me to SGML publications were the
> most intimidating. If the intention is to
> produce a "simple dialect of SGML" for its "ease of implementation", having to
> retrace the historical minutiae of SGML in order to create an XML DTD seems to defeat
> that purpose.

The question was related to a philosophical issue that has been hashed out by SGML
people for ten years now, and that applies directly to XML as well. You need not know
all of the details - some books, such as Chet Ensign's 'SGML: The Billion Dollar
Secret' discusses SGML from a high-level perspective. Nobody's going to make you
memorise the white-space rules around included elements.... :-)

> It seems to me that referring XML newbies (like me) to SGML publications is like
> asking us to eat soup with a *BULLDOZER*. :)

Don't be scared off - not everything to do with SGML is rocket science. Much of it is
just XML by another name.

> Starve or drown. What we need is an XML spoon to properly devour this feast.
> Anyhow, thanks for letting me slurp! :)

Sorry Goldilocks, such a beast takes time to make. Until then, you'll either have to
make do with Baby Bear's or Papa Bear's spoon. I suggest Papa Bear's, but only fill it
up half way.

--
Regards

Marcus Carr email: mrc@allette.com.au _______________________________________________________________ Allette Systems (Australia) email: info@allette.com.au Level 10, 91 York Street www: http://www.allette.com.au Sydney 2000 NSW Australia phone: +61 2 9262 4777 fax: +61 2 9262 4774 _______________________________________________________________

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