XOM API for Processing XML with Java

[John Cowan <cowan AT ccil.org>]

Bradley S. Huffman scripsit:

> Elliotte Rusty Harold writes:
> 
> > We've discussed this in the past, and the result was the current 
> > behavior. However, I could be convinced that elements should retain 
> > their base URI on being detached from the parent. Right now that 
> > isn't obviously right though.
> 
> Right now sometimes they retain there base URI when they're detached, 
> sometimes they don't, it all depends on how the base URI is set.

I think that violates the Law of Least Astonishment, and on reflection I
also now think that elements should retain their base URIs when detached.
The base URI is an essential part of an element's meaning if the element
contains relative URIs in its content or attribute values; moving it
around from one document (or part of a document) to another shouldn't
implicitly change the meaning.

If this is to be done, the question is, how?  Shall detaching an element
just cause the base URI to be set internally, and leave generating
xml:base attributes up to the Serializer, or should it actually generate
an Attribute object at detach time?  I incline to the former.

-- 
John Cowan  www.ccil.org/~cowan  www.reutershealth.com  
jcowan AT reutershealth.com
[T]here is a Darwinian explanation for the refusal to accept Darwin.
Given the very pessimistic conclusions about moral purpose to which his
theory drives us, and given the importance of a sense of moral purpose
in helping us cope with life, a refusal to believe Darwin's theory may
have important survival value. --Ian Johnston