Re: Comments/correction on MS 0.21c

[Christopher Ferris <chris.ferris@east.sun.com>]

Mike,

Thanks for the feedback/comments. Some comments on yours
below.

Cheers,

Chris

Mike_Leditschke@nemmco.com.au wrote:
> 
> Comments on V0.21c of spec. Hope this is the right way to do it

Yup!

> 
<snip/>
> 
> 4. Appendix A.2. Schema needs a targetNamespace attribute of
> "http://wwwebxml.org/namespaces/messageHeader"

All examples and schemas will be updated for the next go.

> 
> 5. Appendix B.1. Example uses a default namespace which
> implies the schema should specify qualifed elements (which it doesn't).
> My preference would be to leave the schema alone, not use a default
> namespace in the example, prefix the ebXMLHeader element with say
> "hdr:" and add a namespace definition for "hdr" on the ebXMLHeader
> element.

We're waiting for word from TA or QR on this issue (as well
as for other XML style conventions, etc.) Suffice to say, point
noted. My further investigation suggests that a qualified namespace
is probably the way we should be going as suggested.

> 
> 6. Should ebXML be providing a URL for its schemas to which instance
> doucments can be pointed via a schemaLocation attribute?
> 
> 7. I have some concerns over the use of a version attribute for providing
> "future versioning capabilities". The XML schema specs talk only of parsers
> using
> namespaces and schemaLocation attributes as a means of locating the
> appropriate schema -  no mention of version attributes nor the semantics
> attached to them. Whilst an application may choose to use this attribute
> for
> providing higher level semantic control, the parser needs the schema to
> know if the version attribute is valid, and therefore can't rely on it to
> determine
> what schema to use. (Feel free to flame me on this one - I'd like to know
> if
> I'm way off track on this one)

No flame, but use of the namespace psuedo attribute for anything but tagname
disambiguation within a document is probably not a good idea. The xmlns
pseudo-attribute should not be used for versioning (IMHO) nor should it
ever be assumed to be the location of the schema/DTD. See the XML Namespaces
FAQ recently posted to this alias and other references.

A separate version attribute (or element) which identifies the version
is useful because it can be used in processing (say, with a stylesheet).
I refer you to the XSL/T specification for the rationale behind their 
use of an explicit version attribute.

> 
> Otherwise, looks good.
> 
> Regards
> Michael

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