On Fri, 2004-05-21 at 12:53, Bob Atkinson wrote:
You are incorrect in that in fact no DTD is needed in XML; XML schema
definitions provide similar information in a more modern format. The
relevant .XSD schema is indicated by (is implied by) the namespace; an
explicit technical linkage to the schema is not necessary (nor even
desirable, as it opens up attacks). Of course, it's very convenient if
the .xsd schema definition is online somewhere, though, being for
developer consumption only, it doesn't matter particularly where.
Think of it this way: the .xsd is compile time information whereas the
.xml data itself is runtime info, specific to a given domain.
Which is why the .xml data is published in the domain's DNS data,
whereas the .xsd is not.
Compile time for whom? When is this information created and static? If
it is hard coded, why include this "undesirable" http reference? Simply
use a document tag registered by IANA. Otherwise, it suggests a new set
of definitions are outside any standards body, done at any time, where
http references will be needed to "re-compile" the program that is
expected to understand this data. This could easily evolve into every
domain offering their own "compile time" version with their own concept
of "compile time." This is an ugly camel's nose that does not belong.
-Doug