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Subject: RE: [legalxml-econtracts] Clause Model Submissions


Hi John,

> Hi Peter and Jason - a quick, friendly question:
>
> In both your submissions, clause numbers (eg "(f)" ) (and in
> Peter's, dingbats)
> are explicitly stated in the markup samples. This confuses me
> because I have
> heard many times that you both want a model that allows you to
> apply XSL to
> generate the clause numbers.
>
> Why is this content in your samples now?

I don't think I have ever proposed using XSL for generation of clause
numbers. I would leave it to the implementer to decide what tool they wish
to use to generate numbers. We do not use XSL ourselves to generate
automatic numbers in our documents. Our experience is formed in the rather
complex requirements of legislative drafting bodies. We have had to develop
a fairly substantial application that can be applied to any DTD to apply any
kind of numbering scheme and to switch between fixed and auto numbering at
will etc. Its way beyond XSL.

As I understand it, enterprises can use XSL to generate numbers if they wish
but I believe the numbers should be included in the data:

(a) The numbers need to be written into the markup to facilitate the
transportation of documents independently of any particular technology.

(b) I believe also that the numbers need to be included to support cross
references.

Having said all this, the issue you raise is important (in a later phase of
the project) and I am not sure how it will work out. As we discussed in the
requirements, it will be essential that we have a clear model as to how
users will exchange XML documents and manage issues such as numbering and
cross references. At the moment, I do not see how we can make assumptions
about the use of any particular technology. It is almost as though there
needs to be some standards for expressing numbering schemes beyond the basic
concepts in CSS so that applications will be able to interpret a numbering
scheme specification in an XML document and reliably apply automatic
numbering, if necessary. In effect, an application taking an existing
document needs enough information to be able to work out which numbering
scheme to apply to the document. Other users will just want the values.

My personal view is that this single issue will substantially inhibit the
exchange between enterprises of draft XML documents that are not "word
processor XML" such as WordML etc. where both parties wish to natively edit
the XML document with full access to facilities such as automatic numbering
and cross references.

I think the issue needs to be explored at a higher level to see how it could
work. At the moment, the issue is to work out the basic clause hierarchy. We
can then to move on to issues such as this.

Regards
Peter



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