Re: [dita-help] Context-Sensitivity

[Alan Houser <arh@groupwellesley.com>]

Deborah_Pickett@moldflow.com wrote:

OF96255A5E.58519F12-ONCA257419.007DA588-CA257419.007ED7CC@moldflow.com" type="cite">I see two problems with that:

1. You might want two (or two hundred) different contexts to point to the same topic. You'd have to invent elements just to attach an ID to, which is what you'd be doing anyway if you were to use <resourceid> or some other element that is customarily used for hooks.

Even if I have two hundred different contexts that point to the same topic, why would I need more than one "hook"? Can't multiple GUI contexts reference the same ID? Even in conventional help authoring tools, I would not create more than one MapID for any given topic.

OF96255A5E.58519F12-ONCA257419.007DA588-CA257419.007ED7CC@moldflow.com" type="cite">2. The id attribute is used for other purposes too (such as the target for an <xref>).  How would you distinguish IDs-as-hooks from IDs-not-as-hooks?  If it's by the content of the attribute, then turning an existing non-hook ID into a hook-ID would mean changing the attribute value, which would break other links to that element.

I don't see how this distinction is important. The ID is a label. It can be used to associate cross-references with their targets, to associate GUI contexts with topics, or both. I don't see how the role of the ID affects its possible value.

Let me know what I'm missing.  :-)

-Alan

OF96255A5E.58519F12-ONCA257419.007DA588-CA257419.007ED7CC@moldflow.com" type="cite">
Obviously there are technical solutions to both of those problems, but my opinion is that those solutions are more effort than having a dedicated element.

--
Deborah Pickett
Information Architect, Moldflow Pty Ltd, Melbourne
Deborah_Pickett@moldflow.com