XHTML 1.0 Returned to the W3C HTML Working Group

Date:     Wed, 3 Nov 1999 16:33:41 -0500
From:     Tim Berners-Lee <timbl@w3.org>
To:       xml-dev <xml-dev@ic.ac.uk>
Subject:  Fw: XHTML 1.0 returned to HTML WG

FYI - tim

[Original Message]
From: Tim Berners-Lee <timbl@w3.org>
To: w3c-ac-members@w3.org <w3c-ac-members@w3.org>
Date: Wednesday, November 03, 1999 11:22 AM
Subject: W3C: XHTML 1.0 returned to HTML WG

Dear Advisory Committee Member,

XHTML 1.0 is hereby sent back to the HTML working group for further work.

On 24th August 1999, we asked for review of the XHTML 1.0 Proposed Recommendation. The review period lasted until September 22nd. It was encouraging to see so many member organizations planning on delivering products supporting XHTML.

There was, however, a significant lack of consensus around a number of points, based on the feedback received during the review. The HTML working group is being asked to address the issues raised and to present a revised specification for further member review as soon as possible.

In summary, W3C Members wanted the HTML working group to revise the XHTML 1.0 specification to utilize a single namespace. There are a number of separate questions involved in this, such as whether a namespace identifier should be changed (a) between versions of the same specification and (b) between different strict, transitional and frameset document types of the original HTML 4 spec on which xHTML is based.

A few respondents were also concerned about the use of the text/xml media type for delivering xHTML, considering this to be "premature". If a document conforming to XML 1.0 and XML Namespaces is not to be considered "text/xml", this raises an important issue as to what is.

Whatever decision is made, XHTML as a specification must of course define some conformance phrase (what it is that it is defining) and the constraints on and meaning of a conforming document.

We will be sending out a separate message on the HTML 4.01 specification, which was reviewed at the same time as XHTML 1.0.

Tim Berners-Lee
Director W3C

xml-dev: A list for W3C XML Developers. To post, mailto:xml-dev@ic.ac.uk
Archived as: http://www.lists.ic.ac.uk/hypermail/xml-dev/ and on CD-ROM/ISBN 981-02-3594-1

Prepared by Robin Cover for the The SGML/XML Web Page archive.

SEARCH Advanced Search ABOUT Site Map CP RSS Channel Contact Us Sponsoring CP About Our Sponsors NEWS Cover Stories Articles & Papers Press Releases CORE STANDARDS XML SGML Schemas XSL/XSLT/XPath XLink XML Query CSS SVG TECHNOLOGY REPORTS XML Applications General Apps Government Apps Academic Apps EVENTS LIBRARY Introductions FAQs Bibliography Technology and Society Semantics Tech Topics Software Related Standards Historic	XHTML 1.0 Returned to the W3C HTML Working Group Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1999 16:33:41 -0500 From: Tim Berners-Lee <timbl@w3.org> To: xml-dev <xml-dev@ic.ac.uk> Subject: Fw: XHTML 1.0 returned to HTML WG FYI - tim [Original Message] From: Tim Berners-Lee <timbl@w3.org> To: w3c-ac-members@w3.org <w3c-ac-members@w3.org> Date: Wednesday, November 03, 1999 11:22 AM Subject: W3C: XHTML 1.0 returned to HTML WG Dear Advisory Committee Member, XHTML 1.0 is hereby sent back to the HTML working group for further work. On 24th August 1999, we asked for review of the XHTML 1.0 Proposed Recommendation. The review period lasted until September 22nd. It was encouraging to see so many member organizations planning on delivering products supporting XHTML. There was, however, a significant lack of consensus around a number of points, based on the feedback received during the review. The HTML working group is being asked to address the issues raised and to present a revised specification for further member review as soon as possible. In summary, W3C Members wanted the HTML working group to revise the XHTML 1.0 specification to utilize a single namespace. There are a number of separate questions involved in this, such as whether a namespace identifier should be changed (a) between versions of the same specification and (b) between different strict, transitional and frameset document types of the original HTML 4 spec on which xHTML is based. A few respondents were also concerned about the use of the text/xml media type for delivering xHTML, considering this to be "premature". If a document conforming to XML 1.0 and XML Namespaces is not to be considered "text/xml", this raises an important issue as to what is. Whatever decision is made, XHTML as a specification must of course define some conformance phrase (what it is that it is defining) and the constraints on and meaning of a conforming document. We will be sending out a separate message on the HTML 4.01 specification, which was reviewed at the same time as XHTML 1.0. Tim Berners-Lee Director W3C xml-dev: A list for W3C XML Developers. To post, mailto:xml-dev@ic.ac.uk Archived as: http://www.lists.ic.ac.uk/hypermail/xml-dev/ and on CD-ROM/ISBN 981-02-3594-1 Prepared by Robin Cover for the The SGML/XML Web Page archive.