Fwd: Error in DITA 1.2 DTD or specs

[Kristen James Eberlein <kris@eberleinconsulting.com>]

Best,
Kris

Kristen James Eberlein
Chair, OASIS DITA Technical Committee
Principal consultant, Eberlein Consulting
www.eberleinconsulting.com
+1 919 682-2290; kriseberlein (skype)

-------- Original Message --------

Subject:	Error in DITA 1.2 DTD or specs
Date:	Wed, 5 Feb 2014 14:41:29 +0100
From:	Jang F.M. Graat <jang@jang.nl>
To:	Kristen James Eberlein <kris@eberleinconsulting.com>

Hello Kris,

I am doing a check on the implementation of DITA in various XML editors and stumbled over an error in the 1.2 specs (or the DTD) for <msgblock>.

The description reads "The message block (<msgblock>) element contains a multi-line message or set of messages. The message block can contain multiple message numbers and message descriptions, each enclosed in a <msgnum> and <msgph> element. It can also contain the message content directly."

The example in the specs merely lists a <msgblock> with text and no other elements in it.

In the DTD, <msgblock> is allowed to have a mix of text data and various other elements, including <msgnum> but not including <msgph>. I was trying to use this <msgblock> as a container for a set of <msgnum> <msgph> lines, which is what I assume was intended. Allowing multiple <msgnum> but no <msgph> more or less defeats the purpose of the <msgblock>.

I am sending this to you as I did not find an address for feedback on published DITA standards outside of the OASIS TCs (to which I have no access anymore). If there is a better address to send my comments to, let me know.

Kind regards from sunny Amsterdam

Jang

JANG Communication
Technical Documentation Specialist
Amsterdam - Netherlands
Cell +31 6 4685 4996
http://www.jang.nl