[XML-SIG] Ugh! Why are DOM access methods spelled with a leading '_'?

[Jim Fulton]

"Fred L. Drake, Jr." wrote:
> 
> Paul Prescod writes:
>  > The DOM working group says that for Java and Javascript, usability is
>  > more important than CORBA compliance. I think that the same goes for
>  > Python. That's why I use and advocate attribute syntax.
> 
> Paul,
>   From the IDL errors pointed out earlier and these comments, I'd have
> to conclude that the IDL definition should be removed from the
> recommendation (not present in the next rev., or whatever), and we
> should put together our own Python mapping that completely ignores all
> the naming conventions of the IDL and Java mappings and does the
> Python thing. 

I suspect that there is agreement on this.

> The big issue there is the legacy code.

Is there much?

>   So, are people using the _get_/_set_ methods or the attribute names?
> Why are these questions being brought back up so late in the game,
> anyway?

Is it late in the game?  From the evidence on the XML-SIG
pages and the discussion here, it appears to me that there
is not a defined Python DOM mapping. Some people think that 
it provides direct attribute, others seem to thing it provides 
access based on both.  

I started this because I'm working on a DOM implementation for the
next generation of StructuredText and I couldn't tell what the
heck I was supposed to implement.

Jim

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