[xslt] Why doesn't xsltproc generate an xml:base attribute when xinclude href isjust a filename?

["Steven Levitt" <slevitt siac com>]

In the following example, xsltproc (from libxslt-1.1.6) does not generate
an xml:base attribute on the XML element included via an XInclude element:

file mydir/xincludeTest.xml:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Test xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2003/XInclude";>
  <xi:include href="xincludeTest2.xml"/>
  <Test/>
</Test>

file mydir/xincludeTest2.xml (in the same directory as xincludeTest.xml.)
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Test>
  Hello
</Test>

xsltproc --xinclude simpleStylesheet.xml xincludeTest.xml
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Test xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2003/XInclude";>
  <Test>
  Hello
</Test>
  <Test/>
</Test>

However, if I change the href in the XInclude element to be a relative file
path, as below, xsltproc generates the xml:base attribute:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Test xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2003/XInclude";>
  <xi:include href="../mydir/xincludeTest2.xml"/>
  <Test/>
</Test>

xsltproc --xinclude simpleStylesheet.xml xincludeTest.xml
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Test xmlns:xi="http://www.w3.org/2003/XInclude";>
  <Test xml:base="../mydir/xincludeTest2.xml">
  Hello
</Test>
  <Test/>
</Test>

Having read the XInclude draft recommendation, it's still not clear to me
exactly when the xml:base attribute is guaranteed to be generated, but it
seems reasonable to expect it to be generated when the href is a simple
filename. Can anyone explain why xsltproc does not do this?



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