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Subject: Re: [dita] Looking for best generic language to refer to DTD, XSD, and RELAX NG in the DITA 1.3 spec
I think "grammar" is probably the most technically correct generic term,
in that that's what DTDs, XSDs, and RELAX NG grammars actually define:
declarative syntactic constraints on the construction of XML documents,
which is analogous to the grammar of a language, that is, the rules for
constructing valid instances, regardless of actual meaning.
I think the term "schema" carries too much database weight and implies a
level of typing that is not present in DTD or RELAX NG and only weakly
defined in XSD.
Nevertheless, "schema" is probably the term that most readers would
understand.
I used the phrase "document-type constraint language" because it's more
inclusive than "grammar" or "schema". In particular, procedural tools like
Schematron can do more than simple grammar or lexical constraint: they can
define population constraints, meaning checks on the specific details of
the document content, such as ensuring that if you specify text X in
element Y that you must also have element Z with text W, but only on
alternate tuesdays or months with no full moon. So that goes beyond the
concept of a simple declarative schema or grammar.
Cheers,
Eliuot
—————
Eliot Kimber, Owner
Contrext, LLC
http://contrext.com
On 3/13/14, 8:05 AM, "Kristen James Eberlein"
> www.eberleinconsulting.com <http://www.eberleinconsulting.com><kris@eberleinconsulting.com> wrote:
> With the advent of support for RELAX NG, we either need to insert
> RELAX NG everywhere in the spec that we refer to "DTD and XSD," or
> we need to find a good, generic alternative.
>
> Here is a typical paragraph that I would like to revise using a
> generic term; I've highlighted in r
>ed bold
> the places that I want to make generic (or have attempted to make
> generic):
>
> " DITA does not require that conforming DITA documents have an
> associated document-type definition as long as all required
> attributes are explicit in the document instances. However, most
> DITA documents have an associated DTD,
> RELAX NG, or XML Schema document. Such associated
> documents enable validation using normal XML processors; they also
> can provide default values for the @domains and @class attributes.
> While the DITA specification only defines coding requirements for
> DTD, RELAX NG, and XML Schema documents, conforming DITA documents
> MAY use other document-type constraint
> languages, such as Schematron."
>
> What is the best choice for an generic term? "XML schema language"
> or simply "schema"?
>
> I also want to replace the adjective "constraint" in the last
> sentence; I've highlighted it in blue bold.
> Any suggestions?
>
>
> --
> Best,
> Kris
>
> Kristen James Eberlein
> Chair, OASIS DITA Technical Committee
> Principal consultant, Eberlein Consulting
> +1 919 682-2290; kriseberlein (skype)
>
>
>
>
>
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