[emergency-msg] CAP Review of Issue # 10

["Tom Merkle" <TMerkle@capwin.org>]

ISSUE: 10 - Question about <language> element and its relation to xml:lang in XML 1.0.

 

DESCRIPTION:

 

The CAP specification includes a <language> field which appears to be redundant since XML 1.0 (the base for CAP) already defines the special attribute "xml:lang" as a standard component of XML 1.0 and thus formats defined in terms of XML 1.0. Unless there is some distinct semantic difference between the CAP-defined <language> tag and the standard XML 1.0 defined "xml:lang" attribute, CAP should drop its non-standard tag and rely instead on the xml:lang attribute.

    An alternative to dropping <language> from the CAP specification would be to clearly define the differences in semantics between <language> and xml:lang. If support for <language> is maintained, then CAP should either explicitly prohibit use of xml:lang or define how processors should behave when processing data which contains both a CAP-defined <language> element as well as the XML 1.0 defined xml:lang attribute.

< http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/emergency-comment/200403/msg00018.html >

 

PROPOSED CHANGE:  CAP should drop its non-standard tag and rely instead on the xml:lang attribute.

 

DISCUSSION: The CAP specification Section 3.2.2 “Info Elements and Sub-Elements” (page 13) is an optional element that conforms to RFC 1766. The RFC 1766 is superseded by RFC 3066, rendering RFC 1766 obsolete. The W3C XML 1.0 Recommendation(http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-xml/#sec-lang-tag) Section 2.12 Language Identification does allow for an optional use to describe a natural or formal language.

 

RECOMMENDATION: CAP may drop the

<element name = "language" type = "language" default = "en-US" minOccurs = "0"/> in favor of the W3C XML 1.0 recommendation <xml:lang="en-US">

 

 

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