Re: [xml] setting the default charset ?

[Liam Quin <liam holoweb net>]

On Mon, Jul 30, 2001 at 03:32:17PM -0400, Daniel Veillard wrote:
>   Liam, repectfully I will point out that the file I gave an URL for
> is http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2376.txt,

Sorry, someone quoting you wasn't careful with attributions, I think.
Now I understand your comments better!

However, that is an informational RFC, not a normative one.

There's actually a rant about encoding decl's in the book that Ian Graham
and I wrote, pages 228 - 231 if you are unlucky enough to have a copy :-)

We have, in the XML spec (4.3.3),
    In the absence of information provided by an external transport protocol
    (e.g. HTTP or MIME) it is an error for an entity including an encoding
    declaration to be presented to the XML processor in an encoding other
    than that named in the declaration

So, if an HTTP server changes the encoding of the document, it must change
the encoding declaration (or delete it) in the XML declaration.

It is an error for HTTP to say one thing and te XML document to say
another, and processing is not permitted to continue.

If there is no encoding specified in the document then yes, the HTTP
header overrides the XML default.

In practice, you need to start out with the encoding given in the MIME/HTTP
header, and then complain if the document's encoding is specified differently.

I was tired too when I wrote, I am sorry I was not clear, "overrides"
was an incorrect word for me to use.

I have had some sleep now, I hope you had a good journey back!

Lee


-- 
Liam Quin - Barefoot in Toronto - liam holoweb net - http://www.holoweb.net/
Ankh: irc.sorcery.net www.valinor.sorcery.net irc.gnome.org www.advogato.org
Author, Open Source XML Database Toolkit, Wiley August 2000
Co-author: The XML Specification Guide, Wiley 1999; Mastering XML, Sybex 2001