xmdp-brainstorming
XMDP Brainstorming
This wiki page offers a location to brainstorm methods for discovering microformats.
Authors
Add your name here if you make significant contributions to this page and wish to take responsibility for them.
Introduction
Tantek Çelik has developed the <a href="http://gmpg.org/xmdp/" title="XHTML Meta-data Profile">XMDP</a> to describe the allowed class attribute values for microformats. A link to a microformat's XMDP in the profile attribute of head element indicates that that microformat may be used in the document. A parser could read the allowed attribute values from the linked XMDP and use their presence in the document to infer that that particular microformat was in use.
There are clearly issues with this approach:
- Just because an attribute value mentioned in a microformat's linked XMDP also appears in the document does not mean that that microformat is in use. Such co-occurrences could be purely by chance.
- Currently, the XMDP can only be linked from the profile attribute of the head element. In many instances, authors will not have access to the head element.
Feel free to add issues here. Keep issues in this list in summary form. Save lengthy discussion and potential solutions for elaboration below.
Addressing issues
These are in no particular order, but an issue should appear in the issues list above if it is addressed here.
Linking to the XMDP
There are at least two additional methods besides using the profile attribute of the head element under discussion:
- Using <link rel="profile" href="link to XMDP"/>. This method can be used now and will be formalized in XHTML 2.
- A problem with this method is that it requires access to the head element.
- Using <a rel="profile" href="link to XMDP">powered by microformat xyz</a> in the body of the document