RE: [dita] ITEM: Cross-references to Topicheads and Implicit Title-only

Among other things Eliot wrote:

> I will also stress that this discussion started because a number

> of users asked the question "what does it mean to xref to

> topicrefs?" I think we have an obligation to answer that

> question. I'm simply saying that "it depends on the form of

> address" is not an acceptable answer, for the reasons

> given above.

I think the answer for DITA 1.2 is:

The processing behavior for an xref that references a topicref is not defined, different implementations may implement this in different ways or not implement it at all and they MAY (but are NOT REQUIRED) to produce error or warning messages in such cases.

If the TC is comfortable doing so, it could go a little further and say:

The DITA TC hopes (plans?) to define this and other related behaviors in future versions of the DITA specification.

-Jeff

> -----Original Message-----

> From: Eliot Kimber [mailto:ekimber@reallysi.com]

> Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 2009 10:19 AM

> To: Michael Priestley

> Cc: dita; Ogden, Jeff

> Subject: Re: [dita] ITEM: Cross-references to Topicheads and Implicit

> Title-only Topics

> On 4/6/09 10:07 PM, "Michael Priestley" <mpriestl@ca.ibm.com> wrote:

> > Re:

> >> Michael is confusing the semantic of the *link* with the form of

> address.

> >> The semantic of the link *cannot* be determined by the form of address.

> >

> > Keyref unequivocally points to the thing the topicref with the key

> points

> > to. It is called keyref for that reason. Href unequivocally points to

> the

> > thing being addressed directly - just like any normal href attribute.

> I absolutely *do not* agree with this statement.

> A key reference points to a *key-defining topicref*. Stop end of story. It

> is an address. It is the thing *with the key* that determines what the

> ultimate target of the original reference is, which could be the thing

> with

> the key or the thing the thing with the key points to. The semantics of

> indirection are bound to topicrefs that define keys, not keyrefs.

> Keyref, by itself, is not an indirection, it is just a pointer to a thing

> with a key.

> That is the way addressing works.

> If we want to remain silent on what it means to xref to a topicref, fine,

> the 1.2 spec will be no more ambiguous or underspecified than the 1.1 spec

> is. The use or non-use of keyref doesn't change that.

> However, the existence of keyref, with the specific intent that topicrefs

> so

> addressed do in fact act as indirectors, I feel *demands* that *any* use

> of

> topicref provide the same behavior in the absence of a way for authors to

> indicate their intent. I have suggested that there is an existing facility

> that can be used to indicate that intent.

> Or said another way: the design of *any* useful hypermedia system *must*

> be

> formulated such that the details of addressing can be changed without

> changing the semantics of the links that use those addresses.

> This is a fundamental principle of hypermedia systems, one explicitly

> codified by the W3C in the design of the Web and codified in ISO/IEC 10744

> (HyTime). It would be a SERIOUS MISTAKE for DITA not to do the same thing

> and I would protest such a move in the strongest possible terms.

> I don't know how to make this any clearer.

> I am *not* proposing a change in existing semantics. I am proposing that

> we

> clarify what is already inherent in the *1.1* design and made more clear

> by

> the existence of keyref in 1.2.

> I will also stress that this discussion started because a number of users

> asked the question "what does it mean to xref to topicrefs?" I think we

> have

> an obligation to answer that question. I'm simply saying that "it depends

> on

> the form of address" is not an acceptable answer, for the reasons given

> above.

> Cheers,

> Eliot

> ----

> Eliot Kimber | Senior Solutions Architect | Really Strategies, Inc.

> email: ekimber@reallysi.com <mailto:ekimber@reallysi.com>

> office: 610.631.6770 | cell: 512.554.9368

> 2570 Boulevard of the Generals | Suite 213 | Audubon, PA 19403

> www.reallysi.com <http://www.reallysi.com> | http://blog.reallysi.com

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