RE: [dita] Need Clarification on Implications of Different List Markup Patterns

Hi Erik,

 

Yes, this is an interesting way to provide
further restrictions on a “loose” content model without the need to
make it a specialized semantic type – which does fit the kind of
situations I’m thinking of.

 

What I am also suggesting, however, is
that the base DITA topic and core specializations be explicitly made looser,
with a specialization or constraint mechanism then used to specify recommended
best practice usage.

 

For example, the base DITA topic could be changed
to allow nested sections, which would make it much more extensible.  But for
technical writing the committee could also specify constraints that do NOT
allow nested sections as a recommended best practice.  Today, these recommended
best practices are built right into the base topic model.

 

Thanks much,

Eric

 

Eric Severson



303-542-2125

Flatirons Solutions
Corporation

From: Erik Hennum
[mailto:] 

Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008
9:23 PM

To: Severson, Eric

Cc: ;
; 

Subject: RE: [dita] Need
Clarification on Implications of Different List Markup Patterns

 

Hi, Eric:

The constraints feature (approved for DITA 1.2) provides a separation of
concerns for extension and authoring in document design:

http://www.oasis-open.org/apps/org/workgroup/dita/download.php/25090/IssueConstraints12008.html

Does this mechanism meet the requirements for the two tiers that you are
envisaging?

Hoping that's interesting?

Erik Hennum



<>
wrote on 02/12/2008 05:53:17 PM:

> What I would like the committee to consider
is:

> 

> - Keeping the base topic and standard
specializations loose enough to

> fit a variety of actual legacy data and
internal standards, while still

> enforcing the basics of DITA

> 

> - Developing tighter "best
practices" specializations of these that can

> serve as a role model for good markup, and
that might also be used for

> new content vs. legacy content

> 

> What I think we DON'T want to do is to make
the base spec so tight that

> it makes adopting DITA a matter of having to
rewrite all your content

> immediately, or of being forced to accept a
particular idea of "best

> practices" writing that may not match
your own.

> 

> This "two-tier" approach could
potentially give us the best of BOTH

> worlds.