XML Linking Implementation Questionnaire : from Fujitsu

             XML Linking Implementation Questionnaire
             ========================================

General
=======
What is the name of your organization?

     Fujitsu Limited

How should we contact you on linking matters?

     E-mail to gotou@flab.fujitsu.co.jp or xlp@ml.fujitsu.co.jp

What is the name of the linking technology?

     XLip (XML Linking Processor)

Please describe its functionality and development status briefly.

     XLip is the processor works on DOM. It needs more improvement. 
     It is easy to append the XLip to the system using DOM.
     XLip recognizes all XLink features and keeps those information.
     By talking to the XLip, system can handle Liking information.

     To show XLip functionality, tree browser has been implemented as the 
     demo application. This browser shows document as "tree" based on DOM.
     It can traverse from staring resource which is the XML information
     set to several types of ending resource (ex. XML information set,
     RTF, HTML, TEXT, Image). 
     This tree browser uses some part of XLip but supports most of XLink 
     specification features.


Is it publicly available?  If so, what is its current location?

     Publicly available. Only the demo application is available.
     In the future, Pocessor itself will be published and publish the API.
     [Web site]
         http://www.fujitsu.co.jp/hypertext/free/xlp/en/index.html

XLink
=====
How does the technology use XLink?

     In the tree browser application, it uses XLink specification to archieve
     hyperjump among nodes and several resources.
     XLink is used to define traversal action.

Does (or will) the technology claim XLink conformance?

     nothing specal.

Please provide details about the parts of XLink implemented.
- Traversing simple outbound links

     In the demo app, starting resource will be shown as the different icon 
     image. Traversal starts depending upon the "actuate" attribute value.
     If "onRequest", traversal starts when user clicks that starting resource
     and ending resource directly will be shown according to "show" attribute 
     value.
     But "onLoad" traversal does not supported. simply ignores it.

- Traversing extended outbound links

     In the demo app, starting resource will be shown as the different icon 
     image. Traversal starts depending upon the "actuate" attribute value.
     If "onRequest", traversal starts when user clicks that starting resource.
     At that time dialog will be shown to specify which ending resouce to traverse.
     if the user selects one of the ending resources, it will be shown according to 
     "show" attribute value.
     But "onLoad" traversal does not supported. simply ignores it.

- Traversing extended inbound/third-party links

     Same as traversing extended outbound links

     In the demo app, starting resource will be shown as the different icon 
     image. Traversal starts depending upon the "actuate" attribute value.
     If "onRequest", traversal starts when user clicks that starting resource.
     At that time dialog will be shown to specify which ending resouce to traverse.
     if the user selects one of the ending resources, it will be shown according to 
     "show" attribute value.
     But "onLoad" traversal does not supported. simply ignores it.

- show="new"

     In the demo app, new window will be created and view the document 
     including those ending resources. Then set the focus to the ending 
     resource.

- show="replace"

     In the demo app, document including staring resource will be 
     opened and closed currently viewed document which includes starting 
     resource. Then set the focus to the ending resource.

- show="embed"

     In the demo app, ending resource is embedded as the child of
     staring resource.

- actuate="onLoad"

     Traversal starts when XLink Processor resolve the XLink declarations and
     those starting resources.

- actuate="onRequest"

     Traversal starts when user clicks the appropriate cell of the
     starting resources.

- XML Base support for relative URIs

     not supported.

     * Currently, relative URIs are resolved according to the systemid of
       xml files including those decralations.


- Linkbase role

     supported.
     Linkbase can be loaded by the value of "actuate" attribute. When running
     the demo application, those timings are as follows:

     onRequest ... user clicks that starting resource.
     onLoad    ... processor loads that starting resource.

- Any other comments/details?
What difficulties did you discover in using the XLink specification?

     "Locator" type element has "role" attribute, "Arc" type element has
     "arcrole" attribute. It is little difficult to distinguish those
     semantics.

What difficulties did you discover in implementing XLink?

    *I think that it is not the scope of XLink spec., onLoad embed traversal 
     action causes cyclic embedding (endless loop). 
     To avoid the cyclic embedding, there need some frame. 

    *Supporse two linkbase is pointing document fragments  and each linkbase
     points contigueous fragment which is same xml document.
     If those two linkbase separate  XLink definition but totally includes the
     whole XLink declaration. How should be handled? 
     I think this case is very rare and it shouldn't be resolved.


XPointer
========
How does the technology use XPointer?
Does (or will) the technology claim XPointer conformance?
Please provide details about the parts of XLink implemented.
- Bare names

     supported partly. it needs 

- Child sequences

     supported

- id() function

     not supported

- Full XPath

     not supported

- range-to

     not supported

- string-range

     not supported

- Namespace support

     not supported

- In programming API

     yes

- In user interface

     no

   - Selecting/showing multiple non-contiguous ranges

     no

- Any other comments/details?
What difficulties did you discover in using the XPointer specification?
What difficulties did you discover in implementing XPointer?

    Our processor doesn't support XPointer specification enough to
    comment these questions.


XML Base
========
How does the technology use XML Base?

    The processor doesn't support XML Base now.

Does (or will) the technology claim XML Base conformance?
Please provide details about the parts of XML Base implemented.
What difficulties did you discover in using the XML Base specification?
What difficulties did you discover in implementing XML Base?


Integration
===========
How does the technology uses XLink, XPointer, and XML Base in conjunction?

    XLink processing is processed at first. In that process, XPointer
    resolving processing and XML Base resolving processing (not supported
    yet, but will support in the future) will be called.

Please provide details about the implementation.
- Handling single nodes as participating resources
- Handling ranges of nodes as participating resources
- Handling participating resources made up of non-contiguous pieces
- Any other comments/details?
What difficulties did you discover in using their specifications together?

    It doesn't have any difficulties. Easy to use.

What difficulties did you discover in implementing them together?

    It will not so difficult to implement together.

Conclusion
==========
Do you have any other comments you would like to share with us?

    It is good idea to define the problem raised at XLink's last question.
    (If two linkbase point contigueous fragment and separate XLink declaration,
     such XLink declaration should be recognized or not.)


---
Masatomo Goto <gotou@flab.fujitsu.co.jp> 
Information Service Architecture lab.
Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd.
Tel: +81-78-934-8249 Fax: +81-78-934-3312

Received on Thursday, 2 November 2000 02:23:23 UTC