[XML-SIG] SAX status

[Lars Marius Garshol]

As you probably know, I have been fixing bugs, writing new drivers
(including a JPython one) and generally working on improving the SAX
libraries, preparing for a new release, which I hoped should not be
too far into the future.

However, David Megginson (the coordinator of the original SAX design)
has just started the discussion of the next SAX version. This means a
couple of things:

 - Unless someone complains I will wait with issuing new versions of
   the packages until new versions of the Java ones come out.

 - Anyone who has strong opinions about how the SAX design should be
   should participate in the xml-dev discussions. (Email with subject
   "subscribe xml-dev" or "subscribe xml-dev-digest" to
   majordomo@ic.ac.uk.)

 - I will probably translate the Java design by hand, and possibly
   also extend it in some cases (as I did last time, clearly
   separating the extensions from the core). Again, Java and JPython
   compatibility will be considered very important (unless someone
   screams really really loudly.) I will also keep the XML-SIG
   informed and attempt to start discussions here about the design and
   translation.

 - If you don't have time to participate fully, but still want to
   voice your opinion, do so here, and I will bear it in mind in the
   xml-dev discussions.

For those who don't have the time to follow xml-dev, David basically
proposed three new extensions:

 - parser filter facilities
 - lexical events
 - namespace handling

My original proposal for parser filters is still at
<URL:http://birk105.studby.uio.no/tmp/filters.zip>

The code is really simple and there are a couple of demos, including a
namespace one.

--Lars M.