Re: [docbook] Status of Extended XLinks (1:n Relationships)?

[Bob Stayton <bobs@sagehill.net>]

Hi Thomas,
I can report that 1-to-n links were not implemented in DocBook 5 in any 
specific way.  We basically provided two general mechanisms: xlink and 
annotations, and left implementation up to the user.

In the few cases where I personally needed 1-to-n links, I used a 
footnote containing multiple links, each with their own text so the 
reader could decide which one to follow.  That worked in both HTML and 
PDF outputs without any customization.

I considered using extended xlinks, but the syntax is arcane and would 
have required stylesheet customizations.  Since I was handing that 
documentation off to my client for them to maintain, I wanted to keep it 
simple.

Bob Stayton
Sagehill Enterprises
bobs@sagehill.net

On 11/25/2017 6:33 AM, Thomas Schraitle wrote:
> Hi list,
>
> as you already know, DocBook 5 allows extended XLinks[1] which you can do some
> fancy things with it. ;)
>
> As I was interested in the use case of creating 1:n link relationships (and
> still be), I started a thread some years ago [2]. I got some very helpful
> ideas and Bob wanted to bring this to the attention of Docbook's TC and "if
> they have any thoughts on it".
>
> Is there any progress on this topic?
>
> Probably I missed some related discussion, but... is there already something
> "official"? I haven't seen anything related in The Definitive Guide (TDG). But
> I believe, it would be very helpful to have some guidelines how to do this,
> documented in TDG.
>
> Also in the light of assemblies, topics etc. this becomes more important to
> have an official blessed method how to express it.
>
> IMHO what I see from the outside, the following issues are needed to really
> support extended XLinks:
>
> 1. Decide on a markup how to express 1:n relationships
>     I've found a post from Norman[3], this may be a good start (or my original
>     thread[2} from 2013).
>
> 2. Support extended XLinks in the stylesheets
>
> 3. Document it in DocBook's TDG
>
>
> How difficult would it be? What are the pros and cons? Does it help to open an
> issue in GitHub? What else is needed...?
>
> What do you think? :)
>
>
> -------- References
> [1] http://tdg.docbook.org/tdg/5.2/extendedlink.html
> [2] https://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/docbook/201307/msg00015.html
> [3] http://markmail.org/message/deiehzkvwmh6c2zp?q=xlink+list:org%2Eoasis-open
> %2Elists%2Edocbook-tc