Re: sgml-validate

[William F Hammond <hammond@mapson.albany.edu>]

>> When I tried M-x sgml-validate, it offers to run
>> nsgmls -s myfile.html
>>
>> I don't have nsgmls so looked around and found
>> opensp providing onsgmls and a gentoo bug report claimed
>> a symlink nsgmls -->  onsgmls.
>>
>> Emerged opensp and now have onsgmls.
>>
>> But onsgmls -s myfile.html
>> just hangs and uses no CPU time.
>>
>> onsgmls claims it will validate "the SGML document whose document entity is
>> specified by the system identifiers SYSID..." so perhaps my error is in
>> supplying just a file name.  What is needed for a valid SYSID?

> AFAIU that's rather an sgml-issue.
>
> Seems the command onsgmls fails, which should happen too for the very
> reasons also from the command line outside Emacs.
>
> BTW I use `xmllint' for validation, may be it's ok for your purposes too.

onsgmls is a very reliable tool.  In general, however, it requires
complicated command lines.

AIUI "xmllint" works only on xml files, and, therefore, probably won't
work with most extant html files, even those self-identified as
the xml form of html, which commonly are not "well-formed xml".
(Xml well-formedness is easily and quickly checked using James Clark's
"xmlwf" that is included with "expat" distributions.)

If your html is dependably well-formed xml, then take your questions
to comp.text.xml.  Otherwise maybe take them to
comp.infosystems.www.authoring.html unless you really, really want a
full understanding of the sgml background for html in which case ask
in the rather quiet group comp.text.sgml.

Furthermore, be aware that the proposal for future html5 served as
"text/html" falls outside of all classical sgml/xml validation
paradigms.

                                    -- Bill