Re: [docbook] Annotations?

["Bob Stayton" <bobs@sagehill.net>]

Annotations are largely left unimplemented in the stylesheets because 
annotations are a very general tool that could be used for many purposes, 
only some of which would appear in print or online.  The 
html/annotations.xsl file in the DocBook XSL stylesheet distribution has 
Norm's experimental application for HTML output, but that's about it so 
far.

To understand how the annotations mechanism was supposed to work, you might 
want to read through my original annotation proposal and followups that the 
DocBook Technical Committee based that feature on:

http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/docbook-tc/200504/msg00012.html

The TC minutes containing the decision are here:

http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/docbook-tc/200504/msg00029.html

The committee adopted it on an experimental basis to see how it would be 
used.  Feel free to implement annotations to meet your needs.

One thing I want to point out is that an annotation element is not intended 
to be associated with its parent. The associations of an annotation element 
are independent of its location. The connection is to be made by using an 
attribute to point to an id, using either an annotates attribute on the 
annotation element, or an annotations attribute on the element it is 
associated with.   In other words, you can connect from either direction, 
and you can form multiple connections as needed.

Of course, in your own application, there is nothing to prevent you from 
associating an annotation element with its parent, but you shouldn't 
consider that portable, nor can you rely on the stock stylesheets to 
support it.

I guess I thought that Norm had incorporated some of the explanation into 
The Definitive Guide, but it looks like not.  I have access to source, 
though, so I can add it.

Bob Stayton
Sagehill Enterprises
DocBook Consulting
bobs@sagehill.net


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "nico" <nicolas.marsgui@libertysurf.fr>
To: <docbook@lists.oasis-open.org>
Sent: Monday, January 08, 2007 2:46 PM
Subject: [docbook] Annotations?


> Hello,
>
> I have a few questions about how annotations should behave. AFAI 
> understand the @annotates and @annotations are links from/to annotations 
> to specify in which elements the annotations popups must appear. My 
> questions are:
>
> - is it possible that none of @annotations/@annotates attributes is used? 
> If so, should we consider that the annotation is about its parent 
> element?
>
> - looking a bit the XSL stylesheets, the annotations seem to be handled 
> only in inlined elements? Is it on purpose or have I missed something? 
> Does it apply to any element (block element)?
>
> Thanks,
>
>
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