Re: URI citation incorrectly listed as non-normative

Dan Connolly wrote:
> 
> This is clearly a normative reference:
> 
> [[[
> Validity constraint: Notation Declared
> 
> The Name must match the declared name of a notation.
> 
> [Definition: The SystemLiteral is called the entity's system identifier.
> It is a [E88]URI reference[E66] (as
> defined in [IETF RFC 2396], updated by [IETF RFC 2732])
> ]]]
> --        Extensible Markup Language (XML) 1.0 (Second Edition)
> http://www.w3.org/TR/2000/WD-xml-2e-20000814#rfc2732
> Mon, 14 Aug 2000 22:33:38 GMT
> 
> But the relevant citations aren't in the list
> of normative references. :-{
> 
> Ian, have you sent info about your citation checking
> tools to spec-prod? If so, pls reply with
> a pointer; if not, would you please?
> 
> Susan, do you check that sort of thing? Ask
> Ian what I'm talking about if it's not clear.

Dan,

The script that we used for the HTML 4 spec [1]
basically does the following:

1) Build a database from the bibliography.
2) Complain if:
   a) There is a reference in the document and no
      corresponding entry in the bibliography (like
      a variable that is used without having been declared)
   b) There is a bibliography entry that isn't used
      (like a variable that is declared but never used).

The bibilography entries are marked up as "normative" or
"informative" (and the bibliography is also split in two
accordingly). The script complains more loudly when
there is a problem with a normative reference than for
an informative reference.

Since then, I have modified the script to work differently:

1) Build a database from the bibliography.
2) Complain if there is a reference in the document and no
   corresponding entry in the bibliography.
3) Remove the bibliography entry entirely if there is
   not reference to it from the document. Emit a warning.
4) Rewrite the bibliography to include 
   only those entries that are actually 
   referenced from the document.

(In the UA Guidelines, I haven't made the distinction
between normative reference and informative reference,
but the more I compose this message, the more I think it
has become necessary...)

 - Ian

[1] http://www.w3.org/MarkUp/Group/html4-src/bin/chkrefs

-- 
Ian Jacobs (jacobs@w3.org)   http://www.w3.org/People/Jacobs
Tel:                         +1 831 457-2842
Cell:                        +1 917 450-8783

Received on Tuesday, 26 December 2000 14:15:10 UTC