Proposal for RFE 2100736: initializer should allow constants

[Norman Walsh <ndw@nwalsh.com>]

I took an action a while back to make a specific proposal for this RFE.

I think the most straightforward thing to do is to allow initializer
to contain the db.markup.inlines:

db.markup.inlines =
   db.tag
 | db.markup
 | db.token
 | db.symbol
 | db.literal
 | db.code
 | db.constant
 | db.email
 | db.uri

So you'll be able to say things like

  <initializer><constant>NULL</constant></initializer>

if you want. Some of the markup inlines seem entirely reasonable for
initializers: token, symbol, literal, code, constant, and uri. Others,
less so: tag, markup, email 

We could arrange to forbid tag, markup, and email, but I'm not sure
it's worth the effort. I think a plausible, if unlikely, case could be
made for allowing email and perhaps even tag as initializers. And if
you do that, on what grounds would you forbid markup?

So that's my proposal: allow db.markup.inlines in initializer.

                                        Be seeing you,
                                          norm

-- 
Norman Walsh <ndw@nwalsh.com>      | It is a general error to imagine
http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/ | the loudest complainers for the
Chair, DocBook Technical Committee | public to be the most anxious for
                                   | its welfare.--Edmund Burke, 1769

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