Re: Introductory comments: XLink CR03062000

Hello Hartmut-- Here are some attempts at responses.

At 08:48 PM 11/6/00 +0000, Hartmut Obendorf wrote:
>In section 2.2 there is an unusual use of the [Definition: ...] syntax,
>the "starting resource" is not defined in the brackets but in the preceding
>sentence.

Will fix.

>In section 2.3 inline, outline and third-party links are defined as linky
>with only one arc. Links with more than one arc (let's call them complex
>links here) aren't given a name. This doesn't make sense to me as I 
>thought one of the great things about XLink was exactly that you wouldn't 
>have to live with a single arc per link. Even a two-way link has two arcs 
>and doesn't have a designated name (like 'complex link') according to the 
>standard.
>
>I would argue that _most_ XLinks will use more than one arc and therefore
>most XLinks are not taken care of by this definition.

The reason no distinction has been made between links with one arc and 
links with several is (as far as I can tell) that the processing would be 
identical -- merely repeated for each arc.  Am I missing some consequence 
in the processing of links when you have multiple arcs?

>In section 5.1 in the example you define a "tooltip" element. This is not
>used again. What's the point?

I'll submit an editorial issue to add an example to Section 5.2.7 that uses 
tooltip.

>In section 5.2 the example "Simple link functionality done with an extended
>link" shows the attribute xlink:role for the locator element and the
>attribute xlink:arcrole for the go element. What exactly is the analog to 
>the role attribute of the simple link? (In 5.5 the spec states that only 
>the role attribute may be used in simple links)

There's a known bug in this section; simple links can have arcrole and 
title, in addition to role.  The role on simple links refers to the role of 
the ending resource (the thing referred to by the href attribute); the 
arcrole refers to the role of the two participating resources in the 
(implicitly created) arc.

>In the same section you state the following as a "missing feature":
>   * associating a title withe the single hardwired arc
>   * associating a role or title with the link as a whole
>
>I understand the first as follows: The title attribute of the simple link
>corresponds to the title attribute of the external locator. Maybe this
>should
>be made a little more explicit.

Agreed.  Your reading is correct.  I'll submit an editorial issue on this.

>The second statement I didn't understand. I read the spec again and see, in
>5.5 you allow the role and title attributes for elements of the type 
>"extended". But I am still lost about the meaning of a role and/or a title 
>for an extended element. Can you help me?

A role for a whole link might suggest a particular interpretation that a 
link processor should have when handling the link or a particular 
"template" that such links should follow; e.g., a role of ".../twins" might 
allow processors to rely on the fact that the resources will be supplied in 
pairs in this type of link.

A title for a whole link might be displayed in preference to other levels 
of title (or used when no other titles are provided).

Does this help?...

         Eve
--
Eve Maler                                          +1 781 442 3190
Sun Microsystems XML Technology Center    eve.maler @ east.sun.com

Received on Wednesday, 8 November 2000 18:53:03 UTC