Re: DOCBOOK: Re: Linking in DocBook V5.0

[Bob Stayton <bobs at caldera dot com>]

> From: Elliotte Rusty Harold <elharo@metalab.unc.edu>
> 
> >Yes, that's one of the factors that motivates me as well. We'll have
> >enough trouble with nested inlines. (And, btw, my gut reaction is to
> >generate broken HTML. The browser ought to handle nested links, gosh
> >darn it. Oh, I know I'll get talked out of it, but that's still my gut
> >reaction.)
> 
> Yes, but this disadvantage applies equally well to nested inlines as 
> you point out. If this really bothers us, we shouldn't add XLinks at 
> all. I don't think this is an adequate reason to disallow XLinks on 
> block level elements.

Norm's concern comes from his having to write
stylesheets to render whatever is permitted in
DocBook.  It isn't clear to me how one renders
block elements as click text in HTML or a
cross reference in print.  I'm not saying it
can't be done with some thought and design, but
it isn't obvious.  

On the other hand, I appreciate your desire to get out
of the restraining box of current rendering environments
like HTML.  There are all kinds of other possibilities for
processing DocBook XML documents, such as help systems
and indexing.  Permitting xlink on larger elements opens
up capabilities beyond the current simple linking
done today.

But if it is permitted, I think we have
to make clear what the processing expectations are.
We could say that xlinks in block elements are
permitted but not currently handled by Norm's
DocBook html and fo stylesheets.  But the markup can
be added to XML files for other purposes and processing
of your own design.  This is similar to
the way role attributes are handled today.
If some common usage emerges, then perhaps those
specific changes can be added to Norm's stylesheets.

bobs
Bob Stayton                                 400 Encinal Street
Publications Architect                      Santa Cruz, CA  95060
Technical Publications                      voice: (831) 427-7796
Caldera International, Inc.                 fax:   (831) 429-1887
                                            email: bobs@caldera.com

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