Re: 2.1 a-d: Link Recognition by Reserved Attribute?

At 1:52 PM -0800 2/12/97, Tim Bray wrote:
>The ERB schedule calls for voting on these Feb. 19th.
>I've take the liberty of grouping a few here that seem totally related.
>
>2.1.a Should we allow link recognition via a reserved attribute?
If we can use separate attribute declarations in the internal subset to add
the attribute. This requires small changes in XML (require processing of
delcarations in internal subset, allow multiple attlist definitions).

>2.1.b If so, should we generalize this and say that it's an AF?

Yes, but _no_ attribute renaming. We should explain what notation and
features we are using directly, but not that we are "comaptible" with
HyTime AFs and refer tot he standard for those who are intersted. Reading
about HyTime _must not_ be a prerequisite for XML linking.

>2.1.c If so, should we provide an introduction to AF's?

No, we should just describe what _we_ are requiring. The HyTime revision
includes masses of stuff that we don't need, and thus shouldn't talk about.
I am not a fan of the HyTime AF conventions, and don't see that there has
been enough practical experience with AF use to make a good definition of a
general AF facility.

We need a "flag attribute", to enable the AF (or a PI if we can't get the
separate attlists -- I point to my earlier proposals without repeating
them). We need attribute declarations for the elements themselves. We
should not have linkends as sub-elements (incompatible w/ HyTime, and not
much gain, but we'll get to that issue later), or Linkgroups (no gain to
anyone, despite people's intuition that it makes implementation easier).
Therefore we can leave the content models of all linking elements to the
user of the AFs, and further simplify the AF features we are using, and
thus the linking standard.

>2.1.d If we allow such recognition, what should the attribute be, and
>      what should be the values for each element type we define?

I have forsworn naming suggestions.

_________________________________________
David Durand              dgd@cs.bu.edu  \  david@dynamicDiagrams.com
Boston University Computer Science        \  Sr. Analyst
http://www.cs.bu.edu/students/grads/dgd/   \  Dynamic Diagrams
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Received on Wednesday, 19 February 1997 12:09:31 UTC