OASIS XML Localisation Interchange File Format (XLIFF) TC

RE: [xliff] RE: [xliff-comment] Re: [xliff] FW: [xliff-comment] Purpose of name attribute for

  • 1.  RE: [xliff] RE: [xliff-comment] Re: [xliff] FW: [xliff-comment] Purpose of name attribute for

    Posted 09-05-2006 12:53
    Just a quick comment on uniqueness...
    
    An attribute may be unique without being required. In HTML, the 'id'
    attribute is meant to be unique and may be applied to any element. It is
    used to select zero or one element, but not more than one, for example, a
    specific DIV element. Of course, not all DIV elements need have an id. The
    uniqueness simplifies programming in that there is no need to loop through
    more than one element. It also provides validation where having more than
    one element with a given id would be illogical or inconsistent.
    
    As to whether 'context-group' should have a unique 'name' or not is a
    different matter. The name, however, may be both unique and optional.
    
    I took a quick look at the PO profile and didn't see why the context-groups
    had the same name. I thought it might have been given the same name just
    because the name attribute was required (in XLIFF 1.1) and so some name had
    to be given.
    
    As for wishing to be able to select multiple context-groups, assigning names
    with a common prefix allows for easy selection using an XML processor. The
    XPath would include "@name[starts-with('my-prefix-')]".
    
    I can go either way, but prefer changing the profile to conform to the spec.
    A tool reading an XLIFF document may rely on the uniqueness of the 'name'
    attribute. 
    
    Regards,
     
    Doug Domeny