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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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