Re: markup for mediaobject parameters

[Norman Walsh <ndw@nwalsh.com>]

"Grosso, Paul" <pgrosso@ptc.com> writes:
> In DocBook, video and audio objects get marked up something like:
>
> <audioobject>
>   <objectinfo>
>     <title>optional description</title>
>   </objectinfo>
>   <audiodata fileref="xxx.wav">
> </audioobject>
>
> At least in HTML, video and audio objects get marked up approximately 
> something like the following (though actually each browser has its
> own quirky requirements that are all different):
>
> <object various-attribute-assignments>
>   <div>optional description</div>
>   <param name="param1" value="value1">
>   . . .
>   <param name="paramN" value="valueN">
> </object>
>
> There are other optional things and so forth, but my question is how
> best to markup in DocBook the things that will map to the various
> HTML <param> elements.  There can be any number of quite arbitrary
> things.
[...]
> Is there a more official way? Has anyone seen another solution in
> common practice? Am I missing something more obvious?

No, I haven't, and no, respectively.

I've wrestled with this occasionally, but the number and variety of
parameters seem so varied and ill documented that I've never tried to
build a rational model.

I don't really like the keywordset hack. Off the top of my head,
either of the following seems better:

1. Just add html:object to your schema and let people put in the
literal objects. It's not clear to me that there's any portability
anyway. And if you made it a choice in mediaobject, you could provide
a fallback.

2. Use PIs:

<audioobject>
  <objectinfo>
    <title>optional description</title>
   </objectinfo>
   <audiodata fileref="xxx.wav">
    <?object-param key1 value1?>
    <?object-param key2 value2?>
   </audiodata>
</audioobject>

That said, if you find a better solution, please do pass it along!

                                        Be seeing you,
                                          norm

-- 
Norman Walsh <ndw@nwalsh.com>      | Part of thinking is its cruelty,
http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/ | aside from its contents. It is the
Chair, DocBook Technical Committee | process of detachment from
                                   | everything else, the ripping, the
                                   | wrenching, the sharpness of
                                   | cutting.--Elias Canetti

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