Re: McCathieNevile-3

Hello Charles,

Once again, thanks for your comments on the content selection last call in 
< <http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-diselect-editors/2005AprJun/0010.html>>

This mail documents DIWG's response to your comment numbered 2. DIWG has recorded this comment as McCathieNevile-2.

Comment McCathieNevile-3: Default id attribute
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3. Section 4.3 discusses the use of selid as an attribute that allows you to specify something which will turn into an ID in the result document - repeating it for several alternative pieces of content. When this is converted, the spec requires a default attribute name to be specified. It seems more sensible to default to xml:id. Instead the specification talks of a language profile that "somehow" defines the attribute that this should become, but does not appear to specify anywhere how this actually occurs or what such a profile looks like. As an alternative to xml:id as a default, it would seem important to clearly specify how such a profile is constructed

DIWG Response
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This is an excellent suggestion and we will incorporate it. We will change the relevant parts of the document as follows:

The text [1] that reads:

"Any language profile which includes DISelect must specify the default name of the attribute generated from the selid attribute by default. Typically this will be the name of the unique identifier for the host language."

is proposed to be replaced by:

"Any language profile that includes DISelect may specify the default name of the attribute generated from the selid attribute by default. In the absence of a specification of the name of the attributed generated by selid, the DISelect processor will assume the name of the generated attribute is xml:id. When a selidName attribute is present, the value of the selidName attribute will override any specified or defaulted name for the attribute generated by selid."

It is acceptable and established practise for the specification of a language profile to include normative descriptions of additional features (e.g. new datatypes) that are not part of the constituent languages. It is expected that any specification defining a profile including DISelect would normatively define the default generated attribute name for selid, or would informatively indicate that the default implied by DISelect itself is used. If such information is omitted from a language profile specification, then the defaulting behaviour of DISelect is implied.

[1]  <http://www.w3.org/TR/cselection/#sec-sel-selid-attribute>


Changes to the DISelect document
================================

BEFORE
<http://www.w3.org/TR/2005/WD-cselection-20050502/#sec-sel-selid-attribute>

4.3 The selid and selidName Attributes

The notion of unique identifiers that can be associated with particular elements in markup languages is common, if not universal. Using them allows particular instances to be identified so that, for example, links can be created or particular styling can be specified.

The uniqueness of these identifiers usually forms part of the validity constraints associated with the host language. The presence of multiple elements with the same identifier violates the constraints and makes the associated document invalid. This is a potential issue when the host language is combined with a selection mechanism, such as the one detailed here. An author may wish to provide alternative versions of particular elements to be used under different circumstances. Both versions may need to carry the same identifier. Consequently, although the document resulting from processing the selection markup will be valid, the document containing the selection markup is not. The selid and selidNameattributes provide a solution for this problem.

The selid optional attribute can be used with elements of the host language. It defines the value that will be used for the host language identifier that will be associated with the host language element on which it is used.

Any language profile which includes DISelect mustspecify the default name of the attribute generated from the selidattribute by default. Typically this will be the name of the unique identifier for the host language.


AFTER
(Change is to the last paragraph)

4.3 The selid and selidName Attributes

The notion of unique identifiers that can be associated with particular elements in markup languages is common, if not universal. Using them allows particular instances to be identified so that, for example, links can be created or particular styling can be specified.

The uniqueness of these identifiers usually forms part of the validity constraints associated with the host language. The presence of multiple elements with the same identifier violates the constraints and makes the associated document invalid. This is a potential issue when the host language is combined with a selection mechanism, such as the one detailed here. An author may wish to provide alternative versions of particular elements to be used under different circumstances. Both versions may need to carry the same identifier. Consequently, although the document resulting from processing the selection markup will be valid, the document containing the selection markup is not. The selid and selidNameattributes provide a solution for this problem.

The selid optional attribute can be used with elements of the host language. It defines the value that will be used for the host language identifier that will be associated with the host language element on which it is used.

Any language profile that includes DISelect may specify the default name of the attribute generated from the selid attribute by default. In the absence of a specification of the name of the attributed generated by selid, the DISelect processor will assume the name of the generated attribute is xml:id. When a selidName attribute is present, the value of the selidName attribute will override any specified or defaulted name for the attribute generated by selid.

Received on Wednesday, 24 August 2005 09:55:45 UTC