[xml] Validation with xmllint, parser errors

[Umut Emin <js_bach freenet de>]

Hello,

i have a plain horizontal external dtd file which i want xmllint to
validate it. I get errors even though i follow the general xml rules on
dtd decleration and definition (see
http://xmlwriter.net/xml_guide/doctype_declaration.shtml)  .

Here is my plain dtd from file.dtd:

<!ELEMENT document (postal_data,main_data)> 
<!ELEMENT postal_data (p_name, p_addr, p_hno, p_pcode, p_city, p_ctry)> 
<!ELEMENT main_data (subj, opening, main_text, closing)>
<!ELEMENT p_name (#PCDATA)> 
<!ELEMENT p_addr (#PCDATA)> 
<!ELEMENT p_hno (#PCDATA)> 
<!ELEMENT p_pcode (#PCDATA)> 
<!ELEMENT p_city (#PCDATA)> 
<!ELEMENT p_ctry (#PCDATA)> 
<!ELEMENT subj (#PCDATA)>
<!ELEMENT opening (#PCDATA)>
<!ELEMENT main_text (#PCDATA)>
<!ELEMENT closing (#PCDATA)>

and the command: 
xmllint --valid --noout file.dtd
file.dtd:1: parser error : StartTag: invalid element name
<!ELEMENT document (postal_data,main_data)> 
 ^
file.dtd:1: parser error : Extra content at the end of the document
<!ELEMENT document (postal_data,main_data)> 
 ^

I am using libxml2-2.7.3 on a linux(distro gentoo). I am not sure if
this is a parser bug or not for the release. Btw: should xmllint also
not validate an empty dtd with no elements (empty file)? This would be
also an universally valid dtd. 

Many thanks,
Umut