[XML-SIG] Proposed XPath API

[Paul Prescod]

Mike Olson wrote:
> 
>...
>
> I think these will have to be 2 different objects.  In XPath the
> difference is Path vs expression.  Its a matter of where you start in
> the EBNF.  
>
> A path is used to select, and an expression is used to
> match.

Does it require two APIs, though? You can compile anything as an
expression, right? So let's say you do that. Then you could throw an
exception in select() if the expression doesn't return a nodelist. Or
else you could just return the evaluated result and not worry about it.

> Do we want to do this, or hold off a bit till DOM III and things like
> PAX are finalized?

I'd rather implement today and deprecate tomorrow. There is very little
cost and doing so and a larger cost in waiting and falling behind.
Microsoft's DOM has had this for a couple of years now. We can implement
DOM III or PAX when and if they are even finalized.

-- 
 Paul Prescod - Not encumbered by corporate consensus
Simplicity does not precede complexity, but follows it. 
	- http://www.cs.yale.edu/~perlis-alan/quotes.html