>
> Paul Prescod writes:
>
> > Let me risk another step into the language courtroom. Validating
> > parsers must always read the whole DTD. So the SDD is only for
> > non-validating parsers. Non-validating parsers do not read element
> > type declarations. So what is the point of this line:
>
> Your first premise is correct, but your second one is not. The spec
> states that a validating parser must use the whole DTD; it does not
> state that a non-validating parser may not use the DTD. AElfred, for
> example, reads the DTD well enough that it can even flag ignorable
> whitespace base on an element type's content model, but it is
> non-validating.
..which means, if your parser is not a validating parser, what you receive
and can do will vary. We have a "grayness" between well-formed and
validating that doesn't sit too well.
> That said, I still agree that the standalone declaration is wrong.
> Perhaps some day, if there's an XML 1.1, we can think about fixing it.
Absolutely. We need well defined classes of parsers so that implementors
and users can require a certain level of processing. We also need
conformance test suites for these each class of parser.
Currently, validating parsers are the only real *safe* bet.
=============================================================================
R. Alexander Milowski alex@veosystems.com (612) 825-4132 v|e|o
MOS | sed s/SG/X/g > DYX