RE: [dita] Name attribute of object element

["Paul Prescod" <paul.prescod@blastradius.com>]

Attributes like "tabindex" and "name" should be removed if they do not
fit into a larger DITA context that makes sense. For example, with
"name" the description is "Submit the object as part of a form." But
DITA has no forms capability and no way to make the form that would
surround the object. So it seems to me that this attribute has no use
case whatsoever. The same holds for tabindex, which I believe is also
only relevant in a forms context. I am also not confident that the
"declare" attribute can be effectively used from within DITA.

In addition: Given that DITA is a multi-channel publishing format, the
meaning of each attribute should  be defined either in a
platform-independent way or at least with respect to print and online
help formats.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Don Day [mailto:dond@us.ibm.com] 
> Sent: Thursday, January 05, 2006 6:27 AM
> To: Paul Prescod
> Cc: dita@lists.oasis-open.org; Su-Laine Yeo
> Subject: Re: [dita] Name attribute of object element
> 
> As you note, I can vouch that the related object and param 
> elements were borrowed literally from XHTML.  There was no 
> point in reinventing yet another object description method 
> since the XHTML model demonstrates reasonable functionality 
> that many help authors already understand.  HTML attributes 
> were retained to allow passthrough of the setup data for end 
> uses.  The Required error was probably copied from the W3C 
> spec before the final values for DITA were adjusted.
> 
> I agree that this is an edit change for the commonLRdefs.dita 
> file in the Language Spec.  Editors, how shall we log and 
> track this and other minor edits we've come across?  I plan 
> to discuss the TC's Wiki on Tuesday--think about a 
> log/response format we can use there.
> 
> In processing, the content for this element (with some 
> modification to the description content, if present) flows 
> literally into XHTML. For FO output, the expectation is that 
> this multimedia content is meaningless, and therefore elided 
> in the original FO transforms (which place an empty block for 
> now).  Authors who intend to print a topic that contains an 
> object should consider providing alternate content, selected 
> conditionally.
> 
> Regards,
> --
> Don Day
> Chair, OASIS DITA Technical Committee
> IBM Lead DITA Architect
> Email: dond@us.ibm.com
> 11501 Burnet Rd. MS9033E015, Austin TX 78758
> Phone: +1 512-838-8550
> T/L: 678-8550
> 
> "Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
>  Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?"
>    --T.S. Eliot
> 
> 
>                                                               
>              
>              "Paul Prescod"                                   
>              
>              <paul.prescod@bla                                
>              
>              stradius.com>                                    
>           To 
>                                        
> <dita@lists.oasis-open.org>         
>              01/04/2006 08:51                                 
>           cc 
>              PM                        "Su-Laine Yeo"         
>              
>                                        
> <su-laine.yeo@blastradius.com>      
>                                                               
>      Subject 
>                                        [dita] Name attribute 
> of object     
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> 
> The DITA language reference[1] says:
> 
> name  | Submit the object as part of a form. | CDATA | #REQUIRED | Yes
> 
> [1] http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.0/langspec/object.html
> 
> But the DTD does not say that it is required.
> 
> Overall, the specification of the object tag does not seem to 
> fit logically in with the rest of the DITA specification. I 
> presume it is closely based upon the HTML tag of the same 
> name? For example: what other elements have a "tabindex" 
> attribute? Or an HTML-specific "name"
> attribute?
> 
>  Paul Prescod
> 
> 
>