• To: xml-dev@l...
• Subject: Re: Attribute Order (Was: Create XML )
• From: "Thomas B. Passin" <tpassin@c...>
• Date: Sun, 22 Jun 2003 19:40:41 -0400
• References: <30.41cb03f7.2c278d3c@a...><16118.15157.897940.556175@m...>

[David Megginson]

> This is a debate that long predates XML.  You'd have something like
>
>   <a>
>    <href>http://www.megginson.com/</href>
>    Megginson Technologies Ltd.
>   </a>
>
> instead of
>
>   <a href="http://www.megginson.com/">Megginson Technologies Ltd.</a>
>
> There is no information that I can think of that could not be
> represented in XML or SGML without attributes, and attributes add a
> noticeable amount of additional complexity to XML APIs.
>
> Personally, I like attributes and I'm glad that we took them from
> SGML, but I won't pretend that there's any justification other than
> stylistic preference.

Don't forget HTML.  To change HTML to well-formed XML with practically no
effort, XML needed attributes.  I know there was SGML-compatibility in
general, but the ability to work with xml-ized HTML in particular is a real
boon.

Cheers,

Tom P

• References:
  • Re: Attribute Order (Was: Create XML )
    • From: AndrewWatt2000@a...
  • Re: Attribute Order (Was: Create XML )
    • From: David Megginson <david@m...>

• Prev by Date: Re: Attribute Order (Was: Create XML )
• Next by Date: Re: Attribute Order (Was: Create XML )
• Previous by thread: Re: Attribute Order (Was: Create XML )
• Next by thread: Re: Attribute Order (Was: Create XML )
• Index(es):
  • Date
  • Thread