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The definition of "document" in SML is a well-formed XML document. Even if we ignore the fact that this definition uses "document" to define "document", there is problem with criterion #1 for conforming SML Model: Each document in the model MUST be a well-formed XML document. Given the definition of "document", this criterion is a tautology. (The text even points back to the definition of "document"! I suggest: 1. Defining "XML document" (leaving "document" undefined as "reference" is undefined in "SML reference" 2. Replacing "document" with "XML document" as appropriate throughout the text (and probably in SML-IF as well). 3. Change criterion #1 above to: The contents of the SML model MUST be XML documents. (and point back to the definition of "XML document".
Let's not define terms we don't own. "XML document" is defined in http://www.w3.org/TR/2006/REC-xml-20060816/#sec-documents In order to not substantively change the specs, #2 "to" would need to be "well-formed XML document", no? "well-formed" is also a precise term, see http://www.w3.org/TR/2006/REC-xml-20060816/#dt-wellformed What exactly is the problem with "Each document in the model MUST be a well-formed XML document."? I don't buy the argument that just because the word document appears twice the definition is circular: the second use is modified via the adjectives "well-formed XML", i.e. the set of documents in the (the? not a or any?) [SML] model must be members of a particular sub-class of all documents... namely, well-formed XML documents.
Points taken regarding my suggested solution to the problem. My pointing out about the circularity was directed to the definition of "Document", not the conformance criterion. My point about the conformance criterion is that it is tautology: Each document (i.e., each well-formed XML document) in the model MUST be a well-formed XML document. We need to say something like "The contents of an model MUST be documents"--in our restricted sense of "documents."
Decided in F2F on 4/2 RESOLUTION: Change conformance criteria from "A set of XML documents is a conforming SML model if ..." to read "A model is a conforming SML model ..."