Re: Data attributes (was: Stylesheets considered limiting)

james anderson (James.Anderson@mecomnet.de)
Mon, 16 Nov 1998 13:05:44 +0100


I make no claim that that the association is automatic. I simply point out
that namespaces (in particular, together with the element technique alluded to
in mr cowan's message) <EM>can</EM> be used to permit the same degree of
precision in descriptions. The syntax is different, and notation attributes
may well be a more compact expression, but the relations are the same.

W. Eliot Kimber wrote:
>
> At 07:49 PM 11/14/98 +0100, james anderson wrote:
> >the situation described below is a case where a namespace prefix is well used
> >to ensure unambiguous naming. if one uses the notation or entity name as the
> >name prefix it awards the same expressive power as the implicit qualification
> >of data attributes.
>
> I don't think it works though, because you don't know for sure that a given
> prefixed attribute is associated with a given entity--besides entity names
> are not, as far as I know, definable as namespace prefixes (that is, if a
> prefix happens to be spelled the same as an entity name, there's nothing
> that defines a necessary relationship between the two).

automatically no, permitted yes. (they are both 'Name's, aren't they?)
as the dtd writer, one would have to chose the names to the desired effect.