Re: [dita-comment] "Any number" of elements.

[Eliot Kimber <ekimber@rsicms.com>]

And to answer your direct question directly: “any number” means “zero or
more”.

Cheers,

E.
-- 
Eliot Kimber
Senior Solutions Architect
"Bringing Strategy, Content, and Technology Together"
Main: 512.554.9368
www.reallysi.com
www.rsuitecms.com




On 1/24/14, 4:18 PM, "Blyth, David" <dblyth@qti.qualcomm.com> wrote:

>Thanks!  There may be a workaround in both Frame and XMetaL but at least
>now I know what's intended.
>
>David S. Blyth (The UNIX dinosaur)
>Sr. Staff Technical Writer
>QTI
>QUALCOMM – Standard disclaimers apply
>
>Only 149,999,944 more years of Ruling The Earth to go
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
>
>________________________________________
>From: Eliot Kimber [ekimber@rsicms.com]
>Sent: Friday, January 24, 2014 5:15 AM
>To: Blyth, David; dita-comment@lists.oasis-open.org
>Cc: Blyth, Pamela
>Subject: Re: [dita-comment] "Any number" of elements.
>
>As of DITA 1.2, the base content model for <conbody> is:
>
>((%body.cnt;)*,
> (%section; |
>  %example; |
>  %conbodydiv;)* )
>
>
>Which means that all the elements are optional and, in addition, you may
>have <section>, <example>, or <conbodydiv> without any preceding elements.
>
>So the behavior you’re reporting from Framemaker and XMetal is incorrect,
>assuming that they are using this content model.
>
>Note, however, that DITA allows for configuration of document types,
>including the imposition of constraints.
>
>That is, the content model shown above is the base model defined in
>concept topic module. However, that content model can be adjusted in the
>context of specific document types that use the module. For example, it
>would be conforming to require at least one element from the first group
>because that would be more constrained than the base model (the general
>rule in DITA is that you can make things more constrained but not less
>constrained—requiring an element that is otherwise optional is more
>constrained and thus allowed).
>
>So you must determine what actual document types (meaning document type
>shell in DITA jargon) your documents are using. If they are using the
>OASIS-provided concept shell then the model enforced should be that shown
>above, but if they are using some other shell, they could be modifying the
>base rules to define the constraints you’re observing.
>
>Cheers,
>
>Eliot
>--
>Eliot Kimber
>Senior Solutions Architect
>"Bringing Strategy, Content, and Technology Together"
>Main: 512.554.9368
>www.reallysi.com
>www.rsuitecms.com
>
>
>
>
>On 1/23/14, 10:09 PM, "Blyth, David" <dblyth@qti.qualcomm.com> wrote:
>
>>Hello;
>>
>>The DITA standard refers to “any number” of elements.  For example, a
>>conbody can contain
>>
>>( (dl <http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/dl.html>
>> or
>>parml <http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/parml.html>
>>or
>>fig <http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/fig.html> or
>>syntaxdiagram
>><http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/syntaxdiagram.html>
>>or
>>imagemap
>><http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/imagemap.html> or
>>image <http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/image.html>
>>or
>>lines <http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/lines.html>
>>or
>>lq <http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/lq.html> or
>>note <http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/note.html> or
>>hazardstatement
>><http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/hazardstatement.htm
>>l
>>> or
>>object <http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/object.html>
>>or
>>ol <http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/ol.html> or
>>p <http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/p.html> or
>>pre <http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/pre.html> or
>>codeblock
>><http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/codeblock.html> or
>>msgblock
>><http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/msgblock.html> or
>>screen <http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/screen.html>
>>or
>>simpletable
>><http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/simpletable.html>
>>or
>>sl <http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/sl.html> or
>>table <http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/table.html>
>>or
>>ul <http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/ul.html> or
>>data <http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/data.html> or
>>data-about
>><http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/data-about.html> or
>>draft-comment
>><http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/draft-comment.html>
>>or
>>foreign
>><http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/foreign.html> or
>>unknown
>><http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/unknown.html> or
>>required-cleanup
>><http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/required-cleanup.ht
>>m
>>l>) (any number)
>>then (section
>><http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/section.html>
>> or
>>example
>><http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/example.html> or
>>conbodydiv
>><http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/conbodydiv.html>)
>>(any number)
>>)
>>
>>Does “any number” mean “Zero and up” or “One and up”?  The FrameMaker 11
>>“concept” EDD uses the “*” symbol, which means “Zero and up” rather than
>>“+”, which
>> is “One and up”. (though I certainly don’t cite Frame as definitive!).
>>If I understand correctly (never a given), then
>>
>>·
>>If “any number” means “Zero and up”, then I should be able to insert a
>>section immediately following a conbody.  That is...
>>
>><conbody>
>>   <section>
>>      <p></p>
>>   </section>
>></conbody>
>>
>>....because the <dl/>, <parml/> and other elements listed would be
>>optional.  However, this is not possible in either Frame 11 or XMetaL 6.
>>Both tools
>>require some pre-existing element in the list.
>>
>>·
>>If “any number” means “One and up”, then I would be
>>required to end a conbody with a section (or example).  However, both
>>Frame 11 and XMetaL 6 allow me to terminate the conbody without one.
>>
>>The tool behavior seems inconsistent.  But regardless and ignoring the
>>tool behavior, what is the formal definition of DITA on this point?  Can
>>I
>>start a conbody with “section” (or example), must I end a conbody with
>>“section” (or example) or am I just completely out to lunch?
>>
>>Thanks much!
>>
>>David S. Blyth (The UNIX dinosaur)
>>Sr. Staff Technical Writer
>>QTI
>>QUALCOMM – Standard disclaimers apply
>>
>>Only 149,999,943 more years of Ruling The Earth to go
>>--------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>