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We say in 5.1.3 (XML output method, indent parameter): "The new whitespace characters MAY replace existing whitespace characters in the same position, for example a tab MAY be inserted as a replacement for existing spaces. However, existing whitespace MUST NOT be removed without such a replacement." It's not at all clear what the last sentence is designed to achieve, or in fact whether it says anything meaningful at all. It would seem to allow me to replace five spaces with three spaces, but not to replace two spaces with nothing. I can't see any reason why I would want to replace two spaces with nothing, but I also can't see any reason why I shouldn't be allowed to do so, given that I'm in a context where we have already deemed whitespace to be insignificant.
The sentence in question is current in the original serialization draft, and we can't really trace it earlier than that. I don't think it's clear that the text in question talking about insignificant whitespace, given that this is just one step in a algorithm, and only the last step deals with siginificant vs. insignificant whitespace. My proposal is that the bullet read: "* The new whitespace characters MAY replace existing insignificant whitespace characters in the same position, for example a tab MAY be inserted as a replacement for existing spaces." (And, yes, the last sentence deleted.)
The XSL and XQuery working groups discussed this comment and decided to resolve this issue by removing bullet 3 in section 5.1.3 and add the following paragraph below the bulleted list: "In any location where the above rules allow the addition of whitespace characters, existing whitespace characters MAY also be removed or replaced. For example, a tab MAY be inserted as a replacement for existing spaces."