dita — archive

proposal for DITA 1.3: same document/same topic DITA reference syntax

From: Bruce Nevin <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2008 03:07:00 -0000







In the existing syntax, null 
filename signifies same document, so in this proposal . following null filename 
signifies same topic. A nice symmetry:
 
#. 
    same 
document, same topic #./elementid 

    same 
document, same topic, specified element within it

#topicid
    same document, specified topic 
within it
#topicid/elementid
    same 
document, specified topic within it, specified element within that

filename.dita#topicid
    
specified document, specified topic in it
filename.dita#topicid/elementid
    
specified document, specified topic in it, specified element within 
that
 
An element referring to 
itself is not supported, and I suppose it's assumed not to occur. If there were 
a use case, #./. would be the appropriate syntax. Do you want to support it just 
in case?
 
What happens if the topicid value is 
the id of the containing topic? 
 
#topicid == #. redundantly, or made 
illegal?
#topicid/elementid == #./elementid 
redundantly, or made illegal?
 
This is shorthand for potential existing 
syntax. That is, if filename.dita is the name of the containing file, 
then
 
filename.dita#topicid == 
#topicid or #. redundantly

filename.dita#topicid/elementid == #topicid/elementid 
or #/elementid 
redundantly
 
How is that handled now? And with 
this proposal, do we make it illegal, or accept it as a redundant 
alternative?
 
    
/Bruce
 



  
  
  From: Ogden, Jeff [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2008 10:02 PM
To: 
  [email protected]
Subject: [dita] proposal for DITA 1.3: 
  same document/same topic DITA reference syntax


  
  
  Here is a proposal for DITA 1.3 or 
  whatever comes after DITA 1.2. Not sure if this would be proposed feature 
  #13001 or not.
   
  Paul Grosso and I would like the 
  DITA TC to consider defining a syntax for same document/same topic references 
  in DITA 1.3.
   
  The DITA Specification currently 
  defines a syntax that provides for same document references in topics and 
  maps:
   
        
  #mapelementid
        
  #topicid
        
  #topicid/elementid
   
  A suggested syntax for same 
  document/same topic references is:
   
        
  #. 
           
     (pound-sign dot 
  forward-slash)
  #./elementid 
    (pound-sign dot forward-slash 
  elementid)
   
  Where . (dot) 
  represents the id of the current topic.
   
  This syntax is only used for same 
  document topic references. It is an error to use this syntax when a path or 
  filename is given or for a same document map reference.
   
  The uses for a same document/same 
  topic reference syntax are similar to the uses for the existing same document 
  reference syntax. The syntax allows sections of DITA markup that include URI 
  references to be written in a self-contained location independent fashion. The 
  markup could be moved from or included from one topic document to another 
  using copy and past, content references, xincludes, entities, or other means 
  without the need to adjust the URI reference to include the id of the topic at 
  the target location.