Re: XML tag usage question

[siliconwriter -at- comcast -dot- net]

Eric, your Google argument may carry more weight with our programmer than the W3C. :)  

The explanation I got was that the XML library our programmers are using uses the term "prop", short for property, when describing an element attribute. Furthermore, the software developers tell me that they have "already used the word 'attribute' to mean something else" in our proprietary software. This tells me that our programmers are less than fully conversant in XML, and that their XML library may be non-standard.

Resolution:
I went to the head of software development and 'splained things to him, and we agreed to replace the word 'prop' with 'attribute' throughout the documentation. Although this means work for me, I would rather do this than risk a user missing a one-line disclaimer telling him that in our world, "prop" means "attribute". :) I'll probably always have to do this, since the likelihood of our programmers deciding to use proper terminology is nil. However, our customers will be happier, and that's what counts.

Thanks for the feedback, all.

Sarah


 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: eric -dot- dunn -at- ca -dot- transport -dot- bombardier -dot- com

> Besides the recognised standards and every decent introduction, web site, 
> and text book I know, Google fight gives 365,000 for "element attribute" 
> vs. 83,900 for "element property".
> 
> Eric L. Dunn
> Senior Technical Writer

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