Re: LYNX-DEV SGML entities question

[Foteos Macrides]

"Christopher R. Maden" <address@hidden> wrote:
>[Klaus Weide]
>> A question for the SGML experts...
>> 
>> Is the following use of numeric character entities legitimate?
>> 
>>  "Erroneous results &#91can occur&#93 when"
>> 
>> Lynx currently recognizes the &#93 (because it is followed by a
>> space) but not the &#91 (because it is immediately followed by a
>> letter).  Should the letter (or any non-digit) terminate the entity
>> reference?
>
>From ISO 8879 (SGML):
>
>   [53] name start character =
>     LC Letter |
>     UC Letter |
>     LCNMSTRT |
>     UCNMSTRT
>
>   [55] name =
>     name start character,
>     name character*
>
>   [56] number =
>     Digit+
>
>   [61] reference end =
>     ( refc |
>       RE )?
>
>   The refc or RE can be omitted only if the reference is not followed
>   by a character that could occur in the reference, or by a character
>   that could be interpreted as the omitted reference end.
>
>   [62] character reference =
>     cro,
>     ( function name |
>       character number ),
>     reference end
>
>   [63] function name =
>     "RE" |
>     "RS" |
>     "SPACE" |
>     name
>
>   [64] character number =
>     number
>
>Starting with [62] character reference, cro is &#.  The following
>string must match either function name or character number.  Since
>function names have to be a name, which must begin with an alphabetic
>character, 92can is not a function name.  It must therefore be a
>character number, which is only repeated digits.  The 'c' can not be
>part of the character reference; by the language after [61] reference
>end, it should therefore end the character reference.


        Oh.  Why weren't you subscribed to the HTML-WG and speak up
about that?  Lynx could have been ending it all along!  It'll take
a few minutes to change it, and in too many places to post.

                                Fote

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 Foteos Macrides            Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research
 address@hidden         222 Maple Avenue, Shrewsbury, MA 01545
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