Re: [dita] Action: Eliot on lockmeta updates

[ekimber <ekimber@reallysi.com>]

I'm not sure this is really a distinct case because "same" is not currently
well defined for metadata, especially where multiple instances are allowed
(e.g., <data>).

For example, should two <data> elements with the same @name value be
considered the same or different?

Or said another way: the only way your new case 5 could make sense is if you
can define, on a per-metadata-item-instance basis whether it replaces,
defers to, or augments instances of the same item, where "sameness" may
itself have to be defined on a per element-type basis.

The 1.2 language is (and must continue to be) pretty fuzzy on this issue. It
will be a task for 1.3 to try to make it less fuzzy.

My guess would be that we need to add one or more new attributes to control
the merging behavior and then expect specializers to set defaults so that
the intent of the specialization designer is as clear as it can be.

Cheers,

Eliot 

On 9/1/09 11:36 PM, "Tony Self" <tself@hyperwrite.com> wrote:

> There is perhaps a fifth case to add to Eliot's four.
> 
>>>>> 
> 1. The topicref's metadata is used exclusively as the effective metadata for
> the topic and the topicref.
> 
> 2. The topic's metadata is used exlclusively as the effective metadata for
> the topic and the topicref.
> 
> 3. The topicref's and topic's metadata are merged, with metadata items from
> the topicref overriding the same metadata items from the topic (where "same"
> may not be clearly definable in all cases, but that's a separate issue).
> 
> 4. The topicref's and topic's metadata are mered, with metadata items from
> the topic overriding the same metadata items from the topicref.
> <<<<
> 
> 5. The topicref's and topic's metadata are merged, with metadata items from
> both the topicref and the topic being used (where multiple metadata items
> are valid).
> 
> 
> For example, with ua-context elements of:
> 
> Topicref -> <ua-context id="123" />
> Topic    -> <ua-context id="654" />
> 
> the result of the five cases would be:
> 
> 1. <ua-context id = "123" />
> 2. <ua-context id = "654" />
> 3. <ua-context id = "123" />
> 4. <ua-context id = "654" />
> 5. <ua-context id = "123" /><ua-context id = "654" />
> 
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Tony Self
> 
> 
> 
> 

----
Eliot Kimber | Senior Solutions Architect | Really Strategies, Inc.
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