Re: [xml-dev] Whacky XML editor in Intellij IDEA

On Sun, 31 Oct 2004 00:58:18 +0100, Michael Kay
<> wrote:
> > I guess there is still the anomaly that if namespace
> > names MUST obey URI syntax, it is very odd that they don't obey URI
> > comparison semantics.  Sigh.
> 
> Which URI comparison semantics did you have in mind? One that looks up a DNS
> name and turns it into an IP address, perhaps?

Oops, I didn't mean to imply that there was a practical alternative to
codepoint comparisons to determine equality.

My point is simply that ordinary mortals are  confused by the fact
that URIs that "look the same" to those familar with how browsers work
 can be different namespace names.  Given the actual comparison
algorithm for namespace names, I wonder if it makes sense for APIs to
enforce that they be *syntactically* legal URIs, even if there is a
logical argument that this is the Right Thing as far as the specs are
concerned. I think that was the point you made originally.