[docbook-apps] RE: DocBook topic element]

[Denis Bradford <denis.bradford@verizon.net>]

Sorry, posted to wrong list:

-------- Original Message --------
To: docbook@lists.oasis-open.org

> ... the DocBook model (so far)
> has been a "top-down" approach, with documents typically being authored
> as entire publications that contain chapters and sections.
>
> Introducing a <topic> into DocBook muddies the waters. Either:
>
> (1) You use <topic>s instead of <book>s, in which case why not just use
> DITA?; or,

I've never been convinced that DITA is particularly better suited for
topic-based authoring than DocBook. See
http://norman.walsh.name/2005/10/21/dita for a cogent argument on that
point.

As a writer who uses both every day, I would look elsewhere for relative
strengths and weaknesses. For example, in DITA's favor I might point out
its small tag set, reltables, and conrefs; as compared to DocBook's
maturity, abundance of tools, and ease of implementation and customization.

IMO, DocBook's "swiss army knife" flexibility is a Good Thing in a
modular XML publishing system. From this standpoint, adding a
well-considered topic model is one more useful refinement to DocBook.