[sc34wg3] Compact syntax requirement question

[Murray Altheim]

Lars Marius Garshol wrote:
> * Murray Altheim
> |
> | [referencing topics via <subjectIndicatorRef/> and <resourceRef/>]
> | 
> | This does not reliably access a single <topic> element due to possible
> | merging actions. 
> 
> No, but it does reliably address a topic item, and in the resulting
> TMDM instance there is no way to distinguish what kind of reference
> was used. In other words: for all topic map purposes it is perfectly
> satisfactory.

Perhaps I'm unclear on the real requirements we're talking about
here -- I was under the impression that a requirement for ID support
would be used by those building processors that would be able to
perform deserialization of XTM document instances.

> | And one should note that an ID link is an XML-level syntactic link
> | -- we cannot rely on a Topic Map engine (obviously) to return a
> | <topic> element based on a query of the contents of
> | <subjectIndicatorRef/> or <resourceRef/> elements. Yes, they're
> | useful, but if one is trying to query a specific <topic> element at
> | the XML level in a graph structure (i.e., a bag), there's no
> | substitute for an ID link.
> 
> At the XML level there is not, no. 
>  
> * Lars Marius Garshol
> |
> | If we add a note that it must be possible to refer to topics using
> | only IDs, does that cover the requirements you are referring to, or
> | is there more?
>  
> * Murray Altheim
> |
> | No, that is it.
> 
> Good!
> 
> | I would be interested to hear Kal's comments on this subject, as I
> | know of his experience from within the code of TM4J and this I
> | believe would be very helpful in making a determination over the
> | correct disposition of this issue. I realize there are others who
> | also could provide such guidance, but I know of Kal's in particular.
> 
> What's the issue you want guidance on?

Precisely what I alluded to above, i.e., that Kal's particular
experience in building TM4J would be very helpful in understanding
the ramifications of *not* requiring IDs for XML processing of XTM
document instances. He may have additional ideas on this as well.

Murray

......................................................................
Murray Altheim                          http://www.altheim.com/murray/
Strategic and Services Development
The Open University Library
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