Direct Links In a CCMS environment

[Jim Tivy <jimt@bluestream.com>]

Hi Folks

xrefs are often used to link from one DITA source topic to another - 
perhaps not always best practice but used nonetheless. In a CCMS an xref 
can either be to the same publication (same pub link) or to another 
publication link (cross pub link). A CCMS will typically host all the 
publications of a particular project.

As well, xrefs can be a link to any number of "uses" of a topic within a 
publication. A "use" refers to a single topicref to a given topic in 
the expanded map of a publication.

So in a CCMS, a full direct address to a topic would be composed of 
{publicationId}{topicUri}{useId}#{topicXmlId}/{elementId}. Certainly 
{publicationId} and {useId} could be dropped for simpler same pub 
cases. But for the full on cross pub and use location cases, all 5 
parts are needed.

Unfortunately right now in DITA you can only directly address 
{topicUri}/#{topicXmlId}/{elementId}.

We have numerous customers that wish to have direct cross publication 
linking at a source level without the need for keys. Once you have 
addressing at the source level the user can move around freely through 
the source in the CCMS. As well, the CCMS can enforce link integrity 
across publication. As well, at publish time these source links can be 
converted too other link forms that work in target delivery platforms 
removing the need for subsequent explicit <resourceId> entries.

So far I am not aware of a simple DITA way of doing cross publication 
links aside from the key proposal. As well, our discussion of 
<resourceid> has focused on external identity but not source identity. 
Is this a shortcoming or am I missing something?

Jim