ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5

Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5

State:
CLOSED
Product:
html
Raised by:
Richard Ishida
Opened on:
2011-07-27
Description:
Follow in bugzilla: https://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=16166


I imagine this will get shot down, but I've been thinking I should suggest it for some time.

It's a pain in the neck to have to write both lang and xml:lang attributes on an element in a polyglot document, and I've seen plenty of pages in the wild from people who should know better where either the lang attribute is missing in XHTML 1.x but the xml:lang attribute is there, as well as vice versa.

Can we not just make xml:lang a synonym of the lang attribute (in the right conditions)?

I think the spec would need to describe what to do if both are used, to deal with legacy, but only small changes would be required to the wording to say that if an attribute in no namespace with no prefix and with the literal localname "xml:lang" appears alone, then its should be treated as equivalent to a lang attribute, and that of course you should use the lang attribute unless this is a polyglot or XML document.
Related Actions Items:
No related actions
Related emails:
  1. [Bug 16166] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2015-06-26)
  2. [Bug 16166] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2015-06-26)
  3. [Bug 16166] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2015-06-17)
  4. [Bug 16166] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2015-06-17)
  5. [Bug 16166] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2015-06-16)
  6. [Bug 16166] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2015-06-16)
  7. RE: [I18N-ACTION-150] Review of HTML open issues (from addison@lab126.com on 2014-02-22)
  8. Re: [I18N-ACTION-150] Review of HTML open issues (from ishida@w3.org on 2014-02-21)
  9. [I18N-ACTION-150] Review of HTML open issues (from addison@lab126.com on 2014-02-18)
  10. [Bug 16166] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2013-01-21)
  11. [Bug 16166] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2013-01-21)
  12. [Bug 16166] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2013-01-21)
  13. [Bug 16166] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2013-01-21)
  14. [Bug 16166] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2012-10-16)
  15. [Bug 16166] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2012-10-16)
  16. [Bug 16166] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2012-10-16)
  17. [Bug 16166] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2012-10-16)
  18. [Bug 16166] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2012-10-16)
  19. [Bug 16166] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2012-10-15)
  20. [Bug 16166] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2012-10-02)
  21. [Bug 17919] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2012-09-28)
  22. [Bug 17919] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2012-07-23)
  23. [Bug 16166] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2012-07-18)
  24. [Bug 16166] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2012-03-25)
  25. [Bug 16166] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2012-03-23)
  26. [Bug 16166] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2012-03-03)
  27. [Bug 16166] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2012-03-02)
  28. [Bug 16166] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2012-03-02)
  29. [Bug 16166] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2012-03-01)
  30. [Bug 16166] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2012-03-01)
  31. [Bug 16166] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2012-03-01)
  32. [Bug 16166] i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2012-03-01)
  33. [Bug 16166] New: i18n-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 (from bugzilla@jessica.w3.org on 2012-02-29)
  34. [minutes] i18n telecon, 2012-02-29 (from ishida@w3.org on 2012-02-29)
  35. I18N-ISSUE-138: Make lang and xml:lang synonyms in HTML5 [HTML5-prep] (from sysbot+tracker@w3.org on 2011-07-27)

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Addison Phillips <addisonI18N@gmail.com>, Chair, Richard Ishida <ishida@w3.org>, Bert Bos <bert@w3.org>, Fuqiao Xue <xfq@w3.org>, Atsushi Shimono <atsushi@w3.org>, Staff Contacts
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