Re: [dita] Looking for best generic language to refer to DTD, XSD, and RELAX NG in the DITA 1.3 spec

[Eliot Kimber <ekimber@contrext.com>]

I think "grammar" is probably the most technically correct generic term,
in that that's what DTDs, XSDs, and RELAX NG grammars actually define:
declarative syntactic constraints on the construction of XML documents,
which is analogous to the grammar of a language, that is, the rules for
constructing valid instances, regardless of actual meaning.

I think the term "schema" carries too much database weight and implies a
level of typing that is not present in DTD or RELAX NG and only weakly
defined in XSD.

Nevertheless, "schema" is probably the term that most readers would
understand.

I used the phrase "document-type constraint language" because it's more
inclusive than "grammar" or "schema". In particular, procedural tools like
Schematron can do more than simple grammar or lexical constraint: they can
define population constraints, meaning checks on the specific details of
the document content, such as ensuring that if you specify text X in
element Y that you must also have element Z with text W, but only on
alternate tuesdays or months with no full moon. So that goes beyond the
concept of a simple declarative schema or grammar.

Cheers,

Eliuot

—————
Eliot Kimber, Owner
Contrext, LLC
http://contrext.com




On 3/13/14, 8:05 AM, "Kristen James Eberlein"
<kris@eberleinconsulting.com> wrote:

>    With the advent of support for RELAX NG, we either need to insert
>    RELAX NG everywhere in the spec that we refer to "DTD and XSD," or
>    we need to find a good, generic alternative.
>    
>    Here is a typical paragraph that I would like to revise using a
>    generic term; I've highlighted in r
>ed bold
>    the places that I want to make generic (or have attempted to make
>    generic):
>    
>    " DITA does not require that conforming DITA documents have an
>    associated document-type definition as long as all required
>    attributes are explicit in the document instances. However, most
>    DITA documents have an associated DTD,
>        RELAX NG, or XML Schema document. Such associated
>    documents enable validation using normal XML processors; they also
>    can provide default values for the @domains and @class attributes.
>    While the DITA specification only defines coding requirements for
>    DTD, RELAX NG, and XML Schema documents, conforming DITA documents
>    MAY use other document-type constraint
>    languages, such as Schematron."
>    
>    What is the best choice for an generic term? "XML schema language"
>    or simply "schema"?
>    
>    I also want to replace the adjective "constraint" in the last
>    sentence; I've highlighted it in blue bold.
>    Any suggestions?
>    
>    
>    -- 
>      Best,
>      Kris
>      
>      Kristen James Eberlein
>      Chair, OASIS DITA Technical Committee
>      Principal consultant, Eberlein Consulting
>      www.eberleinconsulting.com <http://www.eberleinconsulting.com>
>      +1 919 682-2290; kriseberlein (skype)
>      
>    
>  
>
>
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