Re: [dita] DTD Formatting: Attribute list Alignment

[Eliot Kimber <ekimber@innodata-isogen.com>]

Deborah Aleyne Lapeyre wrote:

> Suggest:
>   1) one attribute per line
> 
>   2) Fixed column position for Declared value
> 
>   3) Align Default value (could be left aligned or right
>      aligned as shown below)
> 
>   3) If attribute name too long, wrap to next line
> 
>   4) Decide on single versus double quotes and use them
>      consistently
> 
> <!ELEMENT  foo  (bar+)                                           >
> <!ATTLIST  foo
>              foo-type   CDATA                          #IMPLIED
>              %dtd-vers;
>              xml:lang   NMTOKEN                            "EN"
>              status     (live | dead | phooie)           "dead"
>              foo-customization
>                         CDATA                         #REQUIRED  >

My personal preference for declarations is the format we used in the 
HyTime standard, which puts each bit on it's own line:

<!ELEMENT foo
   ((bar |
     baz)+,
    foo*)
 >
<!ATTLIST foo
   foo-type
     CDATA
     #IMPLIED
   %dtd-vers;
   xml:lang
     NMTOKEN
     "en"
   status
     (live |
      dead |
      phooie)
     "dead"
   foo-customization
     CDATA
     #REQUIRED
 >

In SGML (but no XML :-( ) this format allowed you have a comment for 
each part of each attribute declaration. I also find it much easier to 
read.

I can live with any syntax but this is the format I use when I have a 
choice.

Cheers,

E.

-- 
W. Eliot Kimber
Professional Services
Innodata Isogen
9390 Research Blvd, #410
Austin, TX 78759
(512) 372-8122

eliot@innodata-isogen.com
www.innodata-isogen.com