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From: "Brian S. Hayes" <brian.hayes2@comcast.net>
To: <forrest-dev@xml.apache.org>
Subject: RE: svn commit: rev 10172 - in xml/forrest/branches/copyless: .
 src/core/fresh-site/src/documentation   src/documentation
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 2004 17:10:44 -0800
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: news [mailto:news@sea.gmane.org] On Behalf Of Nicola Ken Barozzi
> Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2004 3:52 PM
 
<snip/>

> The fact is that somehow I was still getting errors in the logs about a
> missing DTD, so I got irritated and took them away. Ok, so this is not a
> technical reason, but the more I think of it, the more it seems to make
> sense. Do property files have a DTD? Do they need one?
> 
> For example, let's say that somebody makes a skin that needs some extra
> customization values... where do they put them? Without a DTD, they can
> easily add them to the skinconf file.
> 
> What are the reasons we should keep the DTD, given the above point and
> the problems we have been having till now (not no mention having to make
> users update the DTD at every change)?

One could argue that if you are savvy enough to being adding new values to
the skinconf and making appropriate XSLT changes to the style sheets, then
you can also make any DTD changes.

Since I am new to Forrest, I am not confident that I understand who the
target users are (in terms of what is expected of them).  I think there are
two users:
   1.  Savvy User: Knows XML, XSLT, CSS, XHTML, DTD, and XML Schema.
   2.  Basic Content Provider: Knows XML -- able to create content, edit
skinconf.xml and forrest.properties, and to run forrest seed and forrest
site.

A schema serves as the contract of what is the acceptable XML instance.
With good in-line documentation, it can be a good reference.  Thus, I argue
for a schema of some sort (e.g. DTD, XML Schema, and/or Schematron).

Has XML Schema been considered rather than using DTDs?  The xs:any element
would allow customization values to be added while also allowing for
validation of the rest of the instance.  I realize the schema choice (XML
Schema, DTD, etc.) is a non-trivial consideration.

Another choice for validating skinconf instances would be Schematron.

Sincerely,
Brian