From: Phrogz <phrogz@...>
Date: 2007-11-27T05:25:01+09:00
Subject: Re: How to map XML attributes

On Nov 26, 9:37 am, Trans <transf...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I'm working on a DSL that maps XML <=> Object, and I'm stuck on where
> to store tag attributes. Do attributes belong to the tag or to the
> content?
>
> For example:
>
>   <foo>
>     <bar xmlns="http://..." type="html">
>        HTML Content
>     </bar>
>   </foo>
>
> In mapping this to an object, lets say:
>
>   foo.bar  #=> "HTML Content"
>
> Does is make sense to ask:
>
>   foo.bar.attributes  #=> { 'xmlns'=>..., 'type'=>... }
>
> or should the attributes be tied to the "attributation" of foo, so:
>
>   foo.attributes(:bar)  #=> { 'xmlns'=>..., 'type'=>... }
>
> The 'type' attribute makes me think the first makes the most sense,
> but the 'xmlns' makes me think the later.

I don't share your opinion on xmlns implying the latter. All
attributes are attributes of an element; the first totally makes
sense.

How would you get the attributes of the rootmost element, e.g.:
  <root id="page3">
    ...
  </root>
Just attributes( :root )? Bleah, I say.


If I were writing an XML-like DOM, I'd use dot notation (method call)
for the child axis and [] notation for the attributes axis.
  foo.bar[:type] #=> ...