[whatwg] Attribute for holding private data for scripting

[Sam Ruby]

Anne van Kesteren wrote:
> On Wed, 11 Apr 2007 13:40:39 +0200, Sam Ruby <rubys at intertwingly.net> 
> wrote:
>>>>> To give a specific example: say I make my own "mjsml" prefix with 
>>>>> namespace "http://example.org/mjsml". In HTML4 UAs, to look up an 
>>>>> "mjsml:extension" attribute using getAttribute("mjsml:extension"). 
>>>>> In HTML5 UAs, I'd have to use 
>>>>> getAttributeNS("http://example.org/mjsml", "extension"). And 
>>>>> neither technique would work on both (at least as I understand your 
>>>>> proposal).
> 
> By the way, the reason this is not consistent with XML is that it would 
> be just as ok to use a different prefix. By basing this on the prefix 
> (which is needed if you want this to be compatible with HTML, etc.) 
> you're moving the semantics from the namespace to the prefix, which 
> seems like a bad idea.

For starters, you are misattributing the quote above.  I did not write 
those words.

As to your point -- and  you so colorfully put it on your weblog -- 
"Standards Suck".  And in this case, I will argue that the current HTML5 
spec leads one to the conclusion that getAttribute("mjsml:extension") 
will work, at least for the HTML serialization of HTML5.

I did not write that quote.  I did not write -- or even contribute to -- 
that portion of the spec.

- Sam Ruby