When the do sgml-parse action specifies creating sgml-dtds and a key, it terminates parsing at the end of the SGML document prolog, creates a "compiled" DTD, and saves it in the specified item of the sgml-dtds shelf. The saved sgml-dtds item can be used later to parse an instance or instance part.

If the sgml-dtds shelf doesn't already have such an item, a new item with the given key is added to the end of the shelf, and the newly compiled DTD is stored in that item. If the sgml-dtds shelf already has an item with that key, the newly created DTD replaces the previous one.

The new sgml-dtds item is not created until the entire do sgml-parse action has completed. If there is an error in the SGML declaration or prolog (DTD), the sgml-dtds shelf item will not be created or updated.

All the usual markup rules are processed when the optional SGML declaration and DTD are parsed. This allows information in processing instructions associated with the DTD, for example, to be captured by the program.

Note that the input to a do sgml-parse can include a document, although it is not necessary. If there is a document instance, it is not parsed when input is used to create a DTD in this way.

Related Syntax    creating    do sgml-parse

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