Murray Altheim wrote:
Shane P. McCarron <ahby(_at_)themacs(_dot_)com> writes:
[...]
In case it isn't obvious, I too lean toward each application "family"
having their own media type. This is the only broadly recognized
announcement mechanism we have, after all.
In thinking about this more, I can see the value in defining a new
media type 'text/xhtml' for the family iff we see that all applications
within that space using the same infrastructure and mechanisms for
extensibility, so that any application within that space can predict
how to read what has been extended and the implications of the
extension. We *may* be able to solve that with document profiles.
But if it's still open season within 'text/xhtml' then we've only put
off the problem until later, and also compounded it by meaninglessly
fragmented the 'text/xml' space. If there is a solution for XML it
should be the same as for XHTML, and so my sense is that either the
HTML WG's concept of document profiles is more usable generally in
XML or we're duplicating what must also be done for XML.
Maybe the way to look at it is that the HTML WG is working in a space
and developing a solution that MAY scale to be a general solution.
However, the HTML space needs the solution now and we are in a good
position to define the solution for the generic HTML-oriented client
space.
I realize that it would be great if we could define a generic solution
for all XML documents, but I just don't see it happening quickly. I
think that we can get an HTML-oriented solution ready in uni time
(before the end of the year), and I think that it will be a solution
that is readily implementable by our constituents (the wireless,
television, and desktop client manufacturers). This would be a good
thing.
--
Shane P. McCarron phone: +1 612 434-4431
Testing Research Manager fax: +1 612 434-4318
mobile: +1 612 799-6942
e-mail:
shane(_at_)themacs(_dot_)com
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