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Re: [xml-dev] Auto-generate a DTD from multiple XML documents?
- From: Michael Day <mikeday@yeslogic.com>
- To: Jon Noring <jon@noring.name>
- Date: Mon, 08 Oct 2007 10:59:31 +1000
Hi Jon,
You really should consider using semantic markup, which would be more
accessible and easier to customise for different output formats than
your current presentational mish-mash:
> <slappinghandonhead andsaying="duh"/>
This markup presumes that the user has a hand, not to mention a head,
and engages in vocal communication in a single language with no
opportunity for translations or explanations of what to many would be an
unfamiliar idiom.
We can start by adding language tags so that multiple language streams
can be used simultaneously. This requires placing the text in an element
rather than an attribute, which is better practice for this use case:
<slappinghandonhead>
<andsaying xml:lang="en">duh</andsaying>
</slappinghandonhead>
However, this nesting arbitrarily prioritises the slapping over the
saying, when the two actions are essentially independent and would be
rendered in parallel by an XML-driven audiovisual renderer. We can
reflect this inherent parallelism by making them siblings:
<action>
<slappinghandonhead/>
<saying xml:lang="en">duh</saying>
</action>
The next problem is obvious: the creation of a specific element for the
sub-action of slappinghandonhead is far too specific, and requires the
vocabulary to be extended every time a new object needs to be slapped,
or a new object is used to do the slapping. We can parameterise this
element and make it much more flexible:
<action>
<slapping>
<appendage ref="hand"/>
<target ref="head"/>
</slapping>
<saying xml:lang="en">duh</saying>
</action>
Now the markup is getting better, but it's still not conveying meaning.
Let's take inspiration from MathML 2.0 and combine parallel presentation
and content markup:
<semantics>
<action id="a1">
<slapping>
<appendage ref="hand"/>
<target ref="head"/>
</slapping>
<saying xml:lang="en">duh</saying>
</action>
<annotation-xml encoding="RDF-XML">
<rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#"
xmlns:ex="http://example.com/">
<rdf:Description rdf:about="#a1">
<ex:longdesc>
Gesture and vocalisation indicating that the person
has missed a detail that should have been obvious.
</ex:longdesc>
</rdf:Description>
</rdf:RDF>
</annotation-xml>
</semantics>
This could be polished a little further with the addition of a namespace
for the action element subtree and further semantic cross-references for
the head and hand appendage to explain them in detail to users who lack
them, but it's a start.
As you can see, if you take a bit more care with the XML that you use,
people will find it a lot easier to understand!
Best regards,
Michael
PS. <tonguelocation is="firmly-in-cheek"/>
--
Print XML with Prince!
http://www.princexml.com
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