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RE: [xsl] how to close html tags : link, meta,...


Subject: RE: [xsl] how to close html tags : link, meta,...
From: "Andrew Welch" <AWelch@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 13 Aug 2003 15:19:17 +0100

> > I don't understand.  I'm it states that all element's in the xhtml
dtd
> > that are not declared as empty should have a closing tag.  Those
that
> > are declared as empty may or may not have a closing tag (in other
words
> > may or may not use the empty element syntax).
> 
> Nope. It says:
> 
> "Elements that are declared in the DTD as EMPTY can have an end tag or
can
> use empty element shorthand (see Empty Elements)."
> 
> That is, "<foo></foo>" is allowed and "<foo/>" is allowed. Just
"<foo>" is
> not, because that's not wellformed XML.

Sorry to go on but...

<div> *is not* declared as empty, so it must be <div></div>

<img> *is* declared as empty, therefore it can be <img/> or <img></img>

That is my reading of the spec, please someone tell me if I am wrong. 


> > Nor do a lot of features, but they are here and being used everyday.
> > Saying 'it doesn't matter for xml' is being very short sited.
> 
> But after all you *are* using XSLT's XML output method. An in XML, it
> doesn't matter. An application that claims compliance to the XML spec
> (such
> as an XHTML browser) MUST accept both notations.

Good.  Well lets have the option to generate BOTH notations, and not
have the processor randomly decide when it sees fit (as in msxml).


> > I give up....
> 
> Again: it's known that IE does not support XHTML. Why don't you simply
> serve
> HTML instead?

Because 90+% of the worlds uses IE.  IE has a lot of useful featues
specific to IE.  Everyone that uses windows has a copy.  If you are
writing an app that is going to be deployed on a windows machine that
needs a browser, IE seems like a good choice.

So good so far.

Now the app you are writing gets quite complicated.  You need to use
XMLFilters on the data going in, and XMLFilters on the data going out.
You need to use the XML output method.

Everything is great, apart from one little thing - your processor
minimises the elements.  As both kind of elements are legal (minimised
and non-minimised) you think that you would be given the choice of which
to produce.  You're not.

I can fully understand the purist xml stance, but I can also see that
this is cutting of your nose to spite your face.  If both forms are
legal, and it makes no difference to the xml community, why all the
resistance?

andrew 

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