Early feedback requested for terminology for #15, "Relax specialization

Subject: Early feedback requested for terminology for #15, "Relax specialization rules"

I met with Chris Nitchie on Saturday, and then restarted prototyping the updates to the spec to cover this proposal.

We've talked about the terminology that this proposal requires a few times. Originally Chris Nitchie proposed "mix-ins" as a name for the modules that enable a DITA architect to expand the content model and attribute list for specific element. Now, I am suggesting the term "expansion module" and want to get feedback from the TC about that.

I am going to copy and paste the content of a single topic below; I think this topic shows how we would use the term "expansion"; it also illustrates how the spec will use the term "element configuration" to cover both constraint and expansion modules.

Overview of DITA extension facilities

DITA provides three extension facilities: Document-type configuration, specialization, and element-type configuration. In addition, generalization augments specialization.

Document-type configuration

Document-type configurationÂenables the definition of DITA document types that include only the vocabulary modules that are required for a given set of documents. There is no need to modify the vocabulary modules. Configurations are implemented as document-type shells.

Specialization

Specialization enables the creation of new element types in a way that preserves the ability to interchange those new element types with conforming DITA applications. Specializations are implemented as vocabulary modules, which are integrated into document-type shells.

Specializations are implemented as sets of vocabulary modules, each of which declares the markup and entities that are unique to a specialization. The separation of the vocabulary and its declarations into modules makes it easy to extend existing modules, because new modules can be added without affecting existing document types. It also makes it easy to assemble elements from different sources into a single document-type shell and to reuse specific parts of the specialization hierarchy in more than one document-type shell.

Element-type configuration

Element-type configuration enables DITA architects to modify the content models and attribute lists for individual elements, without modifying the vocabulary modules in which the elements are defined.

There are two types of element configuration: Constraints and expansion. Both constraints and extensions are implemented as modules that are integrated into document-type shells:

Constraints: Constraint modules enables the restriction of content models and attribute lists for individual elements.
Expansions: Expansion modules enable the expansion of content models and attribute lists for individual elements.

Generalization

Generalization is the process of reversing a specialization. It converts specialized elements or attributes into the original types from which they were derived.

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Overview of DITA extension facilities