Question on keyref processing for <data> element

["Su-Laine Yeo" <su-laine.yeo@justsystems.com>]

Title: Question on keyref processing for <data> element

Hi everyone,

(I'm drafting a longer response to the "Question on key resolution for complex <topicmeta> content" thread. To keep that one focused I'm splitting this question out into a different thread.)

The language reference for the <data> element (http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/langref/data.html#data) says:

"Processors should ignore the content of the <data> element by default, so the <data> element should only be used for properties and not to embed text for formatting as part of the flow of the topic body. It might be tempting to specialize the <data> element for text that is part of the body flow, so as to escape the constraints of the base content models. This abuse of the DITA architecture will cause problems. For example, if a particular kind of paragraph is specialized from <data> rather than from <p>, then when the content is exchanged with others that do not recognize the specialized element, their processors will skip the content."

The architectural specification (http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.2/os/spec/archSpec/processing_key_references.html) says:

"For elements that in addition to @keyref or @conkeyref do specify an

@href attribute (such as author, data, data-about, image, link, lq,

navref, publisher, source, topicref, xref, and their specializations),

matching content includes all elements from within the key definition

element that are in valid context within the key reference."

The language reference says that processors should ignore <data> by default, but the architectural specfication says that it should be processed. Which is correct? If we follow the letter of the architectural specification, then if you have:

<keydef keys = "fooimage">

<topicmeta><data><image href=""foo.gif"/><data></topicmeta>

</keydef>

And

<topic>

…

<data keyref = "fooimage"></data>

…

</topic>

Then it would seem that processors would be required to resolve the image at the location of the <data> element in the topic, but this does not sound like it's in the spirit of the description of the language reference.

Cheers,

Su-Laine

Su-Laine Yeo
Solutions Consultant

JustSystems Canada, Inc.
Office: 1 (778) 327-6356
syeo@justsystems.com

XMetaL Community Forums: http://forums.xmetal.com

For partners only: http://www.justpartnercenter.com