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List: xml-dev
Subject: [xml-dev] Neat article by Jon Hanna: Entry-Level Unicode for XML
From: "Costello, Roger L." <costello () mitre ! org>
Date: 2018-10-23 13:35:48
Message-ID: BN7PR09MB254601F0AE0A9EFF8785CA25C8F50 () BN7PR09MB2546 ! namprd09 ! prod ! outlook ! com
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A few excerpts:
The Unicode Standard is one of the most readable books ever to have the wor=
d "Standard" in its title and an online version is freely available (https:=
//www.unicode.org/versions/Unicode4.0.0/ch01.pdf). Really you should go and=
read that instead, but people often don't when I say that. So here's somet=
hing shorter that'll help you out a bit and hopefully also make you realize=
that this stuff is interesting in itself and you'll be convinced the book'=
s worth taking a look at.
When I say "XML application" in this document I'm referring to a type of XM=
L document combined with a specification as to how it should be used, as su=
ch XHTML, RDF/XML and SVG are XML applications. I am not referring to the s=
oftware that processes or produces such documents, although they are also r=
eferred to as applications in different contexts.
Just what is a character? Is 'a' the shape you can see if you are reading t=
his on screen or page, or is it the sound you can hear if you are using a s=
creen reader, or is it the pattern of bumps you can feel if you are using a=
Braille reader? Is the 'a' in "nap" the same as the 'a' in "nape"? Is 'a' =
the dot-dash of Morse Code, or the 0x61 of a byte in a computer's memory?
None of these descriptions are adequate descriptions of the letter 'a'. Yet=
young children manage to handle the concept of 'a' well enough to set them=
on the path to learning to read and write. If a two-year-old can manage it=
then it can't be that hard!
Clearly 'a' is an abstract concept. Talking about it as an abstract concept=
is difficult, as are most abstract concepts, but we can recognize the rela=
tionship between this concept and the shapes, sounds and other communicatio=
n methods.
https://www.hackcraft.net/xmlUnicode/
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<p class="MsoPlainText">A few excerpts:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText">The Unicode Standard is one of the most readable books ever \
to have the word "Standard" in its title and an online version is freely \
available (<a href="https://www.unicode.org/versions/Unicode4.0.0/ch01.pdf">https://www.unicode.org/versions/Unicode4.0.0/ch01.pdf</a>).
Really you should go and read that instead, but people often don’t when I say \
that. So here’s something shorter that’ll help you out a bit and \
hopefully also make you realize that this stuff is interesting in itself and \
you’ll be convinced the book’s worth taking a look at.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText">When I say "XML application" in this document \
I’m referring to a type of XML document combined with a specification as to how \
it should be used, as such XHTML, RDF/XML and SVG are XML applications. I am not \
referring to the software that processes or produces such documents, although they \
are also referred to as applications in different contexts.<o:p></o:p></p> <p \
class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">Just what is a \
character? Is 'a' the shape you can see if you are reading this on screen or page, or \
is it the sound you can hear if you are using a screen reader, or is it the pattern \
of bumps you can feel if you are using a Braille reader? Is the 'a' in \
"nap" the same as the 'a' in "nape"? Is 'a' the dot-dash of Morse \
Code, or the 0x61 of a byte in a computer’s memory?<o:p></o:p></p> <p \
class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText">None of these \
descriptions are adequate descriptions of the letter 'a'. Yet young children manage \
to handle the concept of 'a' well enough to set them on the path to learning to read \
and write. If a two-year-old can manage it then it can’t be that \
hard!<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Clearly 'a' is an abstract concept. Talking about it as an \
abstract concept is difficult, as are most abstract concepts, but we can recognize \
the relationship between this concept and the shapes, sounds and other communication \
methods.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><a \
href="https://www.hackcraft.net/xmlUnicode/">https://www.hackcraft.net/xmlUnicode/</a>
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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