Re: [xtm-wg] Does processing a TM yield one graph, or several?

["Steven R. Newcomb" <srn@coolheads.com>]

[Sam Hunting:]
> [SRN]
> > "Reification" herein means "The creation of a topic node in a
> >  topic map graph
> 
> "A topic map graph" not "THE topic map graph"?
> 
> Does a single topic map graph result, deterministically, when a
> topicMap engine processes a <topicMap> document, or can several (also,
> of course, all deterministically)? If several, what is the mechanism?
> Something akin to a grove plan?

You're right, Sam.  I should have said "the topic map graph."
                                        ---

(I hope and believe that grove plans have nothing to do with this
issue, either conceptually or literally.  I'm curious to understand
why you think they might -- seems like I'm missing something, here.)

Personally, I have always assumed that the construction of a topic map
graph always begins with a single topic map document (actually, a
single a <topicMap> element).  For purposes of this discussion, let's
call it the "hub" topic map document, even though the concept is
slightly different from the concept of "hub document" in HyTime.  

Here's what I think.  Exactly one topic map graph always results from
processing a topic map document.  However, part of the task of
constructing a topic map graph is to regard other topic map documents
(<topicMap> elements) as part of the input to the graph construction
process, if and only if they are explicitly referenced via a
<mergeMap> element that is contained in the hub topic map, and,
recursively, via the <mergeMap> elements present in any topic map
document that is so merged.

(We may want to put some control on this, at the hub topic map level,
to keep it from getting out of hand.  It's something for us to discuss
in Dallas.) 

(Come to think of it, this is very relevant to another discussion
we're bound to have: the <xtm> container element that contains
multiple <topicMap> elements.  Any of them might be regarded as hubs
or potential hubs, and the <xtm> container element should really say
which one(s) are intended to be regarded as hubs -- starting points
for graph construction processes.)

-Steve

--
Steven R. Newcomb, Consultant
srn@coolheads.com

voice: +1 972 359 8160
fax:   +1 972 359 0270

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