2000-01-19 WD: Linkbases/External linksets

Neither "linkbases" nor "external linksets" is defined in the Terminology 
section of the 2000-01-19 XLink WD (and btw, hey, was this WD actually 
*announced* anywhere?!?); I'm hopeful that someone on Xlxp-dev or the XLink 
comments list can answer my questions about these terms.

1. "Linkbases" first shows up in the WD in [3.1.5], "External Linksets for 
Resources Participating in Extended Links," where it is defined thusly: 
"XML documents whose primary purpose is to contain XLink extended link 
elements." How much importance does the word "primary" have in that 
definition? Do you read it to mean that other content -- even 
non-linking-related content -- may be in the linkbase, as long as it meets 
the requirement of being well-formed XML?

2. The definition of "external linkset" from the same section says that it 
is a "description of linkbases relevant to a particular resource." The 
"relevant to a particular resource" seems kind of, well, mealy-mouthed -- 
seeming to say something but afraid to say it. Is the "particular" resource 
the local resource?

3. As I understand it, an external linkset looks schematically something 
like the following:

	[local resource]
		|_________
		          |
			[external linkset: linkbase containing
			one or more extended links, including
			one or more locator-type elements apiece]

What is the mechanism (if any!) for linking from the local resource to the 
external linkset? Just a simple link? Does the 
"role='[prefix:]external-linkset'" attribute get placed on the link in the 
local resource, or on the containing element in the external linkset?

(I assume (a) that only a simple link to the external linkset is required, 
with no special "I'm pointing to an external linkset" attribute; and (b) 
that the role="external-linkset" attribute goes in the external linkset, 
NOT in the local resource which points to it.)

Thanks for any reasonable or even wild guesses!

===================================================================
John E. Simpson            |  I spilled spot remover on my dog.
simpson@polaris.net        |  He's gone now.
http://www.flixml.org      |  (Stephen Wright)

Received on Thursday, 20 January 2000 13:28:24 UTC