Validating heterogeneous XML

[kj]

The main rationale I have seen for namespace support in XML is to
enable the peaceful coexistence of XML fragments from various
sources within the same ("heterogeneous") XML document without
their trampling over each other's namespaces.

What about the validation of such "heterogeneous" XML documents?

Not only are various fragments probably governed by different
syntaxes, but these syntaxes are probably specified using different
languages (DTDs, XML Schema, etc.).

How are all these competing standards and diverse syntatic
specifications brought together to validate a heterogeneous XML
document?

Thanks!

kj

 

[Ashmodai]

kj scribbled something along the lines of:

The main rationale I have seen for namespace support in XML is to
enable the peaceful coexistence of XML fragments from various
sources within the same ("heterogeneous") XML document without
their trampling over each other's namespaces.

What about the validation of such "heterogeneous" XML documents?

Not only are various fragments probably governed by different
syntaxes, but these syntaxes are probably specified using different
languages (DTDs, XML Schema, etc.).

How are all these competing standards and diverse syntatic
specifications brought together to validate a heterogeneous XML
document?

Thanks!

kj

The only way to get them DTD valid is to use a DTD which is made for the
chosen combination (XHTML + MathML or so is such a DTD, another one is
XHTML + MathML + SVG), although these usually specify a prefix you have
to use.

The better solution is to use only schemas. The only standardized way to
link a namespace to a schema the W3C has brought up so far is the
schemaLocation attribute. According to the specs that one only
*suggests* a schema tho, it doesn't directly bind it to the namespace.

I personally think a PI or similar would be a better choice, same goes
for entity definition lists (there was a thread on this issue on
(e-mail address removed))...