Tagging videoclips in XML (RE: Swiss german, spoken)

[Harald Tveit Alvestrand]

Since we're getting far off topic, I'm changing the subject line, and 
probably should stop the thread pretty soon....

--On 14. juni 2005 16:48 -0700 Karen_Broome at spe.sony.com wrote:

> Well-formed XML uses the xml:lang attribute to specify the content
> language, not a <language> tag, though that would work in an informal
> use.  I was speaking of the formal use for which RFC 3066 is prescribed.

well... RFC 1766 actually predates XML, and even RFC 3066 is older than 
XML's recent popularity.....

I believe xml:lang is an attribute that specifies the language of the 
content of the thing it's an attribute of; in the recommendation's words:

> In document processing, it is often useful to identify the natural or
> formal language in which the content is written. A special attribute
> named xml:lang MAY be inserted in documents to specify the language used
> in the contents and attribute values of any element in an XML document.
> In valid documents, this attribute, like any other, MUST be declared if
> it is used. The values of the attribute are language identifiers as
> defined by [IETF RFC 3066], Tags for the Identification of Languages, or
> its successor; in addition, the empty string MAY be specified.

(from <http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-xml/> section 2.12)

I believe your application as described doesn't have the XML tagging 
surrounding the videoclip in question, so formally, using the xml:lang 
isn't "right" - using another attribute or element content with values from 
RFC 3066 is perfectly OK, though. Or it might be "right" to use the 
xml:lang attribute if the content (or another attribute) of the element is 
the URL of the videoclip; that one I'm even less sure about.

But - I'm not an official interpreter of the XML canon, so don't attach too 
much weight to my words.... and of course, anything you really want to make 
work can be made to work, whether or not it's created in accordance with 
the XML canon....