[XML-SIG] Problem parsing the xhtml dtd

[Lars Marius Garshol]

* Alexandre Fayolle
| 
| Is this a bug in xmlproc or in the W3C DTD ?

It's a bug in xmlproc.  This is one of several cases where I guessed
wrong about ambiguities in the XML 1.0 spec, according to the second
edition of that spec.

* Martin v. Loewis
|
| XML 1.0 says
| 
| # A special attribute named xml:space may be attached to an element to
| # signal an intention that in that element, white space should be
| # preserved by applications. In valid documents, this attribute, like
| # any other, must be declared if it is used. When declared, it must be
| # given as an enumerated type whose only possible values are "default"
| # and "preserve".
| 
| As a non-native speaker of English, that sentence sounds ambiguous to
| me: Does it mean that xml:space must have no more, no less than
| "default" and "preserve" as possible values, or does it mean it may
| have less than these values?

I had exactly the same problem as you with this part of the spec when
I implemented this.  However, the second edition of the XML
specification has improved this section and is now crystal clear:

# A special attribute named xml:space may be attached to an element to
# signal an intention that in that element, white space should be
# preserved by applications. In valid documents, this attribute, like
# any other, must be declared if it is used. When declared, it must be
# given as an enumerated type whose values are one or both of "default"
# and "preserve".                              ^^^^^^^^^^^

Once Python 2.0 is out I'm planning to improve xmlproc by

 - writing a full-featured SAX 2.0 driver with lots of features and
   properties

 - updating it to conform to the XML 1.0 2nd edition spec

 - adding full Unicode support

The order and timing of these releases is still unclear.

I've fixed this particular problem now in my private CVS tree.

--Lars M.