> this means that the standard VOTable readers then cannot assume
> that there is the mandatory tag. So they have to be able to parse
> without it, thus why bother at all?
Because its meta-data? And if you're not parsing the table but instead just the meta-data you get added value...
> To have the row count in the end is still helpful, because we can
> compare, it serves as a checksum.
Hmm, true...
Maybe a mandatory element in TABLE then? It could come after (streamed case) or before (un-streamed case) the TABLEDATA element since its at the same level as TABLEDATA itself.
That way it has to be there, so you can assume it, but you get it early before you've parsed the TABLEDATA sub-element in the unstreamed case.
Al.
-- Dr. A. Allan, School of Physics, University of ExeterReceived on 2003-10-23Z15:18:50