Hi
don't the defaults also get set when the parser performs a validating
parse() on
the imcomming document?
Cheers
David
----- Original Message -----
From: "Elena Litani" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 20, 2002 1:16 PM
Subject: DOM L2/L3 default attributes: need feedback
> The DOM Working Group is considering backing off from the currently
> defined behavior for default attributes. Currently the spec states:
> [[
> To re-specify the attribute as the default value from the DTD, the user
> must delete the attribute. The implementation will then make a new
> attribute available with specified set to false and the default value
> (if one exists).
> ]]
>
> The DOM Working Group plans to remove all the magic related to
> reappearance of default attributes.
> Instead the default attributes will be updated according to the
> specified grammar at the time normalizeDocument() method is called.
>
> This change would introduce some backward incompatibility with DOM Level
> 2. Please, let us know (or speak up on www-dom mailing list) if you have
> any concerns.
>
> I am also forwarding the message that was posted on www-dom public
> mailing list regarding this issue.
>
> Thank you,
> --
> Elena Litani / IBM Toronto
>
>
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: Default attributes
> Resent-Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 18:17:13 -0500 (EST)
> Resent-From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 15:16:18 -0800
> From: Arnaud Le Hors <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Organization: IBM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> Hi all,
>
> DOM Level 1 was designed to work with XML 1.0 only. XML Namespaces
> didn't exist, and DTDs were the only type of grammar that was used with
> XML. Because DTDs provide a simple and straightforward way of
> associating default attributes with elements, the DOM Level 1 was made
> so that default attributes were handled automagically by the
> implementation. This included adding them on element creation as well as
> adding them back on removal of specified attributes for which a default
> value exists.
>
> DOM Level 2 came out with additional support to cope with XML
> Namespaces. However, because DTDs are not "namespace aware", several
> issues were later found with the way namespaces interact with DTD
> information in general, and default attributes in particular. Namely,
> because the DOM doesn't perform any namespace binding it is unclear how
> default attributes should be updated in cases where the qualified name
> of an element or an attribute is changed, through the change of its
> prefix.
>
> Now, with the introduction of XML Schemas, the task has become even more
> challenging. One might like the DOM implementation to have a similar
> behavior with regard to default attributes, but with XML Schemas the
> name and namespace URI of an element are not even enough to specify its
> type. The type of an element may vary according to its position in the
> tree!
>
> The three put together creates a level of complexity that makes it
> basically impossible to define something that would be understandable by
> both users and implementors, and it is believed that it will in any case
> be error prone, both at the level of the spec and the implementations.
>
> As an alternative, the Working Group is considering backing off from the
> currently defined behavior and specify in DOM Level 3 that attributes
> are not updated dynamically as the tree is being mutated but instead are
> only updated according to the governing grammar at specific times.
> Specifically at the time the normalizeDocument() method is called.
>
> We do realize, however, that this change would introduce some backward
> incompatibility with the previous versions of the DOM. We would
> therefore appreciate feedback from others on whether this is seen as too
> disruptive or whether the gain in simplicity and better interoperability
> is worth this breakage.
>
> Thanks in advance for your input.
> --
> Arnaud Le Hors - IBM, XML Standards Strategy Group / W3C AC Rep.
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
