Conref of topicref to topicref: are relative URIs rewritten?

[ekimber <ekimber@reallysi.com>]

Given a root map and a subordinate map in a subdirectory under the root map,
where the subordinate map contains a topicref that specifies @href to a
topic, e.g., in the sub map:

<topicref id="tr-01"
  href="../topics/topic-01.dita"
  processsing-role="resource-only"
/>

In the root map you then conref the topicref in the sub map:

<topicref
  conref="submaps/submap-01.ditamap#tr-01"
/>

What is the effective value of the @href after conref resolution?

A. "../topics/topic-01.dita"
B. "topics/topic-01.dita"?

Obviously, answer (A) is the wrong answer from a "it should work"
standpoint, since, in the context of the root map, the URL doesn't point to
a resource (or it points to a different topic-01.dita than the one pointed
to by the sub map).

In my tests, the 1.5 M22 Toolkit does the right thing, in that it rewrites
the value of the href so it reflects the location of the resolved topicref,
not the location of the referenced topicref.

I think this behavior needs to be required by the spec, but the current
language for attribute merging doesn't mention rewriting of pointers.

I think the language would be something like:

"When the referenced element specifies @href and the attribute is the
effective version of the @href attribute after attribute merging, if the
value of the @href attribute is a relative URI reference, the value must be
rewritten to reflect the relative location of @href attribute following
content reference resolution."

And then give the example above.

Cheers,

Eliot

----
Eliot Kimber | Senior Solutions Architect | Really Strategies, Inc.
email:  ekimber@reallysi.com <mailto:ekimber@reallysi.com>
office: 610.631.6770 | cell: 512.554.9368
2570 Boulevard of the Generals | Suite 213 | Audubon, PA 19403
www.reallysi.com <http://www.reallysi.com>  | http://blog.reallysi.com
<http://blog.reallysi.com> | www.rsuitecms.com <http://www.rsuitecms.com>