DOCBOOK-APPS: Re: Windows editor for DocBook XML that does not messwith files?

[Norman Walsh <ndw at nwalsh dot com>]

/ Bob Stayton <bobs@mammoth.pdev.ca.caldera.com> was heard to say:
| If you do have line wrap on in XMetal,
| then it exhibits an odd bug with mixed content elements,
| which SoftQuad claims is not a bug.  If you have a
| para like this:
| 
| <para>My text with <emphasis>a big</emphasis> word.</para>
| 
| If this line rewraps, the space to the left of <emphasis>
| and to the right of </emphasis> may be lost. 

You mean you might get this:

  <para>My text with<emphasis>a big</emphasis>word.</para>

| SoftQuad
| claims that such spaces are not significant because they
| are between nodes

That's absurd.

| I've tried to convince them it is a bug.

Convince them!? That's absolutely, blatantly a bug. *ALL* whitespace in
mixed content is significant. The only insignificant element
whitespace[*] in XML 1.0 is whitespace in element content (such as
between paragraphs).

I quote from Section 2.10 of the XML Recommendation (Second Edition):

  An XML processor must always pass all characters in a document that
  are not markup through to the application.

Spaces are not markup. End of story.

                                        Be seeing you,
                                          norm

[*] The rules for insignificant attribute whitespace are a little more
interesting, but irrelevant here.

-- 
Norman Walsh <ndw@nwalsh.com> | In the life of saints, technically so
http://nwalsh.com/            | called, the spiritual facilities are
                              | strong, but what gives the impression
                              | of extravagance proves usually on
                              | examination to be a relative deficiency
                              | of intellect.--William James