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Subject: Re: [xtm-wg] Questions on topic maps
At 03:30 20.07.2001 +0100, Ivan Uemlianin wrote: >[1] <topic scope="biology"><name>dysfunction</name> ... </topic> > >This is different from [2]. > >[2] <topic><name scope="biology">dysfunction</name> ... </topic> Whether or not these two are different depends only on what "..." contains. The following are identical: [1] <topic scope="biology"><name>dysfunction</name></topic> [2] <topic><name scope="biology">dysfunction</name></topic> ISO 13250 is very clear (see clause 5.2.1, and especially note 22) that the use of a [scope] attribute on a <topic> element is a *syntactic shorthand*. The only things that can be scoped are assignments of topic characteristics, not topics themselves. >Given some UI and accessing this topic map from outside the scope "biology", >topic2 would show up with no characteristics, whereas topic1 would be >invisible and inaccessible. I feel it is important to allow this >distinction. I'm afraid it isn't possible. In topic maps, a topic is simply the sum of its characteristics. It has no independent existence. >My overall concern is that concepts generally have an interpretation only >within some context. I am not saying here that 'occurrences' of concepts >always have a context (which is of course true), but that concepts >themselves are only valid within a context. If a topic has an occurrence in the scope 'X' then that topic will have an interpretation in that context. And vice-versa: No occurrence, no interpretation. >When is a topic map 'finished'? Surely any topic map in use will be having >topics added to and removed from it? Is a topic map supposed to be a static >object? Of course not, but the problem you seem to be alluding to only exists in the time-space between the creation of a topic and the assignment of its first characteristic(s) in the scope(s) within which you want that topic to have interpretation. That characteristic need be nothing more than a name, which is normally something you create at the same time as the topic itself, so I don't see the big problem. I wonder if the problem here is practical or conceptual? Steve -- Steve Pepper, Chief Executive Officer <pepper@ontopia.net> Convenor, ISO/IEC JTC1/SC34/WG3 Editor, XTM (XML Topic Maps) Ontopia AS, Waldemar Thranes gt. 98, N-0175 Oslo, Norway. http://www.ontopia.net/ phone: +47-23233080 GSM: +47-90827246 To Post a message, send it to: xtm-wg@yahooGroups.com To Unsubscribe, send a blank message to: xtm-wg-unsubscribe@yahooGroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
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