[odf-discuss] A bit more detailed explanation of the AFNORposition

[Daniel Carrera]

marbux wrote:
> Here we go again with another Daniel Carrera straw 
> man argument.  I've never said that *all* foreign elements and 
> attributes need to be preserved.

Only ones needed for interop? You can't know which ones those are. I say 
that all the elements in my example are critical for interop.

> You continue to claim it is impossible for apps to preserve foreign 
> elements and attributes needed for interop purposes despite the fact 
> that: [i] the ODF Conformance section says that conforming apps *may* 
> preserve them;

That something is permitted does not imply that it is always possible. 
I'm allowed to be a singer but I can't sing. I gave an example where you 
can't know how to preserve foreign elements needed for interop. Here is 
an example where I can: I invented the myapp:zzz="bbb", I know what it 
means, so /I/ can write an application that preserves it properly.


> [ii] in one circumstance says conforming apps *should* 
> process their contents; and [iii] in another circumstance says that 
> conforming apps must preserve their content:
> [snip]
>       If the attribute's value is true, or if the attribute does not
>       exist, the element's content /should/ be processed by conforming
>       applications... If the element's content should be processed, the
>       document itself /shall/ be valid against the OpenDocument schema
>       if the unknown element is replaced with its content only.


That does not say that applications shall or should preserve foreign 
elements. It says that the content should be processed and that the 
document shall be valid ODF if the unknown elements are replaced with 
their content only. Like in my example. Here's another example:

<text:p> <my:unknown> This is the content </my:unknown> </text:p>

Replace the unknown tag by it's content:

<text:p> This is the content </text:p>

Valid ODF => OK.

> Furthermore, you still evade rather than come to grips with the concrete 
> real-world example of WordPerfect. WordPerfect 6 can still round-trip 
> documents with WordPerfect 13

Corel knows WP 6. I can make DCWord 1 that writes the sample ODF I wrote 
and I can write DCWord 12 which round-trips with DCWord 1. But good luck 
anyone else round-tripping with DCWord 1.

Daniel.