[Zope] - XML-style DTML code

[Andrew M. Kuchling]

Paul Everitt writes:
>
>Chris wrote:
>> 	<?ztml #var arg ?>
>
>Ahh, tis nuthin better than seeing a patch accompany a proposal :^)
>
>Here's my main beef with this.  The ostensible goal of the XML syntax is
>to make it parse-able by new tools.  Unfortunately, a valid use of the
>current syntax:
>
>  <font size="<!--#var font_size-->">
>
>which is legal, would become:
>
>  <font size="<?ztml #var arg ?>">
>
>which *not* valid XML...is it?  That is, can you have markup inside
>markup?

	I don't believe so, but have CC'ed this to the XML-SIG where
the real experts hang out.  PIs have to be outside other markup; I
suspect the XML way of handling your second case would be to define an
entity:

  <font size="&arg;">

This is unfortunate for the application of HTML templating, because it
collides with the use of entities in HTML.  It also makes things
difficult because the entity would have to be declared at the
beginning of the file in the DOCTYPE declaration.  Making the
templating identical to XML, while keeping it conveniently
human-editable, may not be possible.

-- 
A.M. Kuchling			http://starship.skyport.net/crew/amk/
    "You? What are you?"
    "Me? Lady, I'm your worst nightmare -- a pumpkin with a gun."
    -- The Furies and Mervyn, in SANDMAN #66: "The Kindly Ones:10"