RDF for parallel markup templates?

Dear Sirs,

I've been thinking about building a MathML editor for Mozilla-based page editors, in XUL + XBL + JavaScript.  Among other things, it would include multiple-language presentation MathML and also content MathML.  I came up with an idea for "MathML overlays", where I would overlay one MathML parallel markup expression onto another.  The idea is that more complex MathML expressions are built from simpler ones.

For instance, I could start with a basic:

  <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"
        xmlns:medit="http://localhost/namespaces/math-editor/mozilla">
    <semantics encoding="MathML-Content">
      <medit:fitb medit:index="0"/>
      <annotation-xml xml:lang="en-US" encoding="MathML-Presentation">
        <medit:fitb medit:index="0"/>
      </annotation-xml>
    </semantics>
  </math>

and overlay it with:

  <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"
        xmlns:medit="http://localhost/namespaces/math-editor/mozilla">
    <semantics encoding="MathML-Content">
      <apply>
        <power/>
        <medit:fitb medit:index="0"/>
        <medit:fitb medit:index="1"/>
      </apply>
      <annotation-xml xml:lang="en-US" encoding="MathML-Presentation">
        <msup>
          <medit:fitb medit:index="0"/>
          <medit:fitb medit:index="1"/>
        </msup>
      </annotation-xml>
    </semantics>
  </math>

to arrive at:

  <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"
        xmlns:medit="http://localhost/namespaces/math-editor/mozilla">
    <semantics encoding="MathML-Content">
      <apply medit:index="0">
        <power/>
        <medit:fitb medit:index="1"/>
        <medit:fitb medit:index="2"/>
      </apply>
      <annotation-xml xml:lang="en-US" encoding="MathML-Presentation">
        <msup medit:index="0">
          <medit:fitb medit:index="1"/>
          <medit:fitb medit:index="2"/>
        </msup>
      </annotation-xml>
    </semantics>
  </math>

The <medit:fitb/> elements are "fill-in-the-blank" entries, and would be replaced eventually by pure MathML markup, via overlays of this sort and/or MathML token elements such as <cn/>.

RDF could encode the semantic cross-references within parallel markup fairly well.  (Yes, I am aware the id and xref attributes could do the same, but one must take care not to violate uniqueness of IDs when doing overlays of this sort...)  It would also allow for multiple flavors of presentation markup, for specific languages, alternate symbolizing, etc.

I'm wondering if the idea of encoding semantic relationships for the various content MathML elements is viable, and if so, who might be willing to lend a hand.  If it's not a viable, good idea, I'm wondering what better ideas for such templates might be available.

Opinions?

Alex Vincent
Vallejo, CA

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Received on Friday, 13 June 2003 23:48:58 UTC