Simplified XPointer Proposal

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Date: Fri, 22 Feb 2002 13:24:43 +0000
From: jborden@attbi.com
To: xml-dev@lists.xml.org
Subject: Simplified XPointer

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We have submitted an Internet Draft of a "generic 
fragment identifier syntax" which is suitable for 
service as a simplified version of XPointer.

http://ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-borden-frag-00.txt

The essence: this syntax is suitable for use as a frag 
id syntax for media type application/xml and text/xml. 

Like the current version of XPointer it
has 3 forms:

1) bare names e.g. #foo
2) short refs e.g. #/1/2
3) scheme based fragments  e.g. #xpath(/foo/bar[3])

The draft proposes 3 predefined scheme based fragments:

1) xpath(path)-- the parameter is an xpath
2) xmlns(pre=URIref)-- the parameter is a prefix 
namespace binding (sets contextfor xpath)

and currently:
3) xpointer(fullXptr) the parameter is a full XPointer 
as per WD

It would be possible to drop the xpointer scheme and 
this draft becomes a very compact fragment identifier 
syntax for XML -- as well as being patent unencumbered

Jonathan

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Prepared by Robin Cover for The XML Cover Pages archive.

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