"    For applications faithful to the semantics 
    specified by the prose, the XML vocabulary 
    is algorithmic markup."

I think the algorithm can be denotated by the XML markup, but the
operational semantics are still the application's whether actual or
abstract.  Axiomatic semantics, I'd say yes but again, denotatively.

I'm not sure algorithmic markup has meaning except insofar as a markup
sequence denotes an algorithm.   This has the feeling of Korzybski's Ghosts
where general semantics and linguistic semantics are haunting the same
closet.

len

-----Original Message-----
From: Costello, Roger L. [mailto:costello@m...] 
Sent: Wednesday, June 03, 2009 6:31 PM
To: 'xml-dev@l...'
Subject: RE: [xml-dev] What is declarative XML? (And what's not)

Hi Folks,

I'd like for us to nail down exactly what we mean by "descriptive markup"
and "algorithmic markup." Here's a stab at it:


1. XML documents just contain markup and data. There are no semantics in XML
documents. An XML document is just syntax.

 
2. A software application can be written to perform specific, repeatable
actions when it encounters markup in an XML instance document. Stated
differently, applications can be written to add a layer of semantics on top
of the XML syntax.


3. When creating an XML vocabulary, it is common practice to write prose
that specifies semantics for the XML vocabulary. Then software applications
can be written to implement the semantics specified by the prose.


4. Sometimes the prose just assigns a definition to each element and
attribute in the XML vocabulary. Software applications that implement these
semantics "understands" the XML vocabulary. These applications don't execute
any actions when given an XML instance document, beyond simply informing
itself. For these applications the markup is purely informational or
descriptive. 

    For applications faithful to the semantics 
    specified by the prose, the XML vocabulary 
    is descriptive markup.


5. Sometimes the prose associates actions to each element and attribute in
the XML vocabulary. Software applications that implement these semantics
will execute the actions when given an XML instance document. For these
applications the markup represents instructions or prescriptions. 

    For applications faithful to the semantics 
    specified by the prose, the XML vocabulary 
    is algorithmic markup.


I'm sure that these can be expressed more clearly. I welcome your
suggestions.

/Roger


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