XOM API for Processing XML with Java

[Elliotte Harold <elharo AT metalab.unc.edu>]

John Cowan wrote:

> No, it isn't.  An attribute is of type ID if and only if one or more of
> the following is true:
>
> a) it is declared in the document's DTD as being of type ID, whether
>    or not XML validation is being done;
>
> b) it is declared in an XML Schema as being of type xs:ID, and XML
>    Schema validation is being done;
>
> c) the attribute is named "xml:id".

I don't think it's that clear in practice. For example, if you're 
parsing well-formed HTML there's a user expectation that all attributes 
named id, ID, Id, or iD are treated as IDs.

If you're using XPath on a DTDless document then elements declared as 
xs:ID in a W3C schema do not have type ID, and arguably xml:id elements 
don't either (unless declared that way in a DTD).

And what about ID-type attribute declared in a RELAX NG schema?

Like a lot of other things, "IDness" is in the eye of the beholder. It's 
a really nasty rabbit-hole that I've been sucked down more than once; 
and I'd like to avoid going there again if I can help it.

--
Elliotte Rusty Harold  elharo AT metalab.unc.edu
Java I/O 2nd Edition Just Published!
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