Re: [docbook] Re: Add topic element to DocBook?

[Elliotte Harold <elharo@metalab.unc.edu>]

Michael(tm) Smith wrote:
> Chris Chiasson <chris@chiasson.name>, 2006-10-28 15:17 -0500:
> 
>> that's invalid xml
> 
> Actually, it's not well-formed XML. Anyway, I think that's exactly
> the point was Elliotte was making. If you have content that
> requires topics to cross section boundaries, you can't represent
> it XML, because it violates XML's well-formedness contraints.

Yes, that was essentially my point. It sounds to me like what's being 
suggested here  would amount to two parallel hierarchies: one for parts, 
chapters, and sections; and one for topics.

XML is very bad at representing parallel hierarchies, even if you can 
manage to avoid overlap. My gut feeling is that DocBook should stick to 
what it is and avoid topics completely.

-- 
Elliotte Rusty Harold  elharo@metalab.unc.edu
Java I/O 2nd Edition Just Published!
http://www.cafeaulait.org/books/javaio2/
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=0596527500/ref=nosim/cafeaulaitA/