RE: [dita] proposal for DITA 1.3: same document/same topic DITA reference syntax

["Bruce Nevin (bnevin)" <bnevin@cisco.com>]

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

 

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From: Ogden, Jeff [mailto:jogden@ptc.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2008 10:02 PM
To: dita@lists.oasis-open.org
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.