case sensitivity and XML

[Michal Wallace (sabren)]

How's this:

1. By definition: For python to be case insensitive, the token {A}
   must be the same as the token {a}.

2. Therefore:
        x.A = 1
   is the same as:
        x.a = 1

   where x is some kind of module or object.

3. Therefore:
	x.__dict__["A"] = 1
   is the same as:
	x.__dict__["a"] = 1

   And/Or:
        setattr(object, "A", 1)
   is the same as:
        setattr(object, "a", 1)

4. Therefore, the string, "A" must be equivalent to the string, "a".

5. Given: XML is a case-sensitive language. 

6. By definition: In XML, "a" is different from "A"

7. Therefore: it is possible to have a meaningful xml tag such as:
   <tag A="one thing" a="something else"/>

8. Assumption: In order to access this tag's attributes, we must
   use a string with the name of an attribute.

9. Therefore: "A" must not equal "a", which contradicts [4].

10. Assumption: "A" cannot equal "a" and NOT equal "a" at the
    same time.

11. Given the above, a case-insensitive python cannot parse all
    XML documents.

-----

Does anyone disagree with the conclusion in line 4? Can we have a case
insensitive Python without case-insensitive string comparisons?

If you don't buy the assumption in line 8, I'd like to see your
XML library! :)

If you don't buy the assumption in line 10, then would you introduce
a separate operator for case (in)sensitive string matching?

-----

Another argument has to do with Java. In java, X and x are different. What
does that mean for a case insensitive JPython? That we can only script
SOME java objects reliably?


Cheers,

- Michal
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