Re: [FrameSGML] FM+SGML: everything valid highest level?

[Dan Emory <danemory@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 08:11 PM 3/23/02 +0000, Mark Barratt wrote:
>When dealing with arbitrary import-by-refrence file fragments I'm
>tempted to let everything down to para and list level be valid at the
>highest level.
>
>Is there some reason why this might be a very bad or impractical idea
>(apart from philosophically, that is)?

What I do is define a "wrapper" element in the EDD with name TextInset (or 
some other appropriate name) that is valid at the highest level. The 
structure rule for this element could be <ALL>, or it could be more 
restrictive. This element becomes the highest-level element inall text 
insets. Then, at the highest level of document structure (or at some lower 
structure level such as Chapter or Section if appropriate), I add the 
TextInset element to the structure rule (or as an inclusion). It may also 
be appropriate to add special attributes to the TextInset element so as to 
facilitate the management of your text insets.

By using this approach, you can insert text insets at locations where some 
or all of the individual elements within the text inset would otherwise 
violate the EDD structure rules.

If your EDD was derived from an existing DTD, the addition of the TextInset 
element to the DTD will produce the least amount of perturbation to the DTD.

If you export documents containing text insets imported by reference, the 
easy way out of the limitations imposed by FM+SGML is to not include any 
entity-type read/write entity rules for the text insets. In that case, when 
you export a document to SGML which includes text insets, the text insets 
are written out as ordinary content and markup, not as entity references. 
The obvious disadvantage of this method is that, if you import such an SGML 
document instance back into FM+SGML, they will no longer be text insets. 
But the alternative is even nastier, because, to produce entity references 
for text insets on export, you'll have to add an entity-type read/write 
rule for each and every text inset. Since, however, you can't export 
individual text insets as SGML text entities, the entity references in SGML 
document instances where those text insets are used will have entity 
references which point to the FrameMaker text inset files, not to SGML text 
entities.
====================
| Nullius in Verba |
====================
Dan Emory, Dan Emory & Associates
FrameMaker/FrameMaker+SGML Document Design & Database Publishing
Voice/Fax: 949-722-8971 E-Mail: danemory@primenet.com
177 Riverside Ave., STE F, #1151, Newport Beach, CA 92663
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