OASIS Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) TC

  • 1.  Finding descriptions of DITA attributes

    Posted 10-14-2010 00:46 
    









    Hi everyone,
    


    (Please note that this is not a request to change the DITA 1.2 draft :) )
    


    It has come to my attention that if you are trying to understand the purpose of a particular DITA attribute, the language reference leaves something to be desired. If you want to know more about a particular element, there is an alphabetical list of elements. For attributes, there is no alphabetical list, and the documentation is in organized according to what the attributes are used for. So you sort of have to already know something about what an attribute is used for in order to find out what it is used for.
    


    Doing a plain-text search on the attribute name is useful, if circuitous, for attributes with odd names like "xtrf". It is a lot less useful for attributes with English names like "base". 
    


    A hyperlinked alphabetical list of DITA attributes would be very helpful. Does anyone know of a quick way to generate one? 
    


    Regards,
    


    Su-Laine
    


    


    Su-Laine Yeo
    
    Solutions Consultant 
    


    JustSystems Canada, Inc.
    
    Office: 778-327-6356
    
    syeo@justsystems.com
    


    


    XMetaL Community Forums: http://forums.xmetal.com
    


    For partners only: http://www.justpartnercenter.com


  • 2.  Re: [dita] Finding descriptions of DITA attributes

    Posted 10-14-2010 07:45 
    
  
    
  
  
    Hi Su-Laine,

    I completely agree with you. Perhaps this could be a priority item
    for the improvements to OASIS-sponsored DITA adoption websites.

    (Thank you for not suggesting changing all attribute names to
    something unusual like "xtrf". I have a strong suspicion that some
    nitpickers would regard this as a substantive change to the DITA 1.2
    draft! ;) )
    Regards,

Doug Morrison
Information Architect
http://dita4all.com


    On 14/10/2010 01:41, Su-Laine Yeo wrote:
    
    BECDDDED92C3B949A38F5BC4BF56D21F03F92EC0@van-mail.jena.local" type="cite">
      
      
      
      
      
    Hi everyone,
    
      
    (Please note
            that this is not a request to change the DITA 1.2 draft :) )
    
      
    It has come
            to my attention that if you are trying to understand the
            purpose of a particular DITA attribute, the language
            reference leaves something to be
            desired. If you want to know more about a particular
            element, there is an alphabetical list of elements.
            For attributes, there is no alphabetical list, and the
            documentation is in organized according to what the
            attributes are used for. So you
            sort of have to already know something about what an
            attribute is used for in order to find out what it is used
            for.
    
      
    Doing a
            plain-text search on the attribute name is
            useful, if circuitous, for attributes with odd
            names like "xtrf". It is a
            lot less useful
            for attributes with English names like "base". 
    
      
    A hyperlinked
            alphabetical list of DITA attributes
            would be very helpful. Does anyone know
            of a quick way to generate one? 
    
      
    Regards,
    
      
    Su-Laine
    
      
    
      
    Su-Laine
              Yeo
            Solutions
            Consultant 
    
      
    JustSystems
              Canada, Inc.
                Office: 778-327-6356
              syeo@justsystems.com
    
      
    
      
    XMetaL
            Community Forums: http://forums.xmetal.com
    
      
    For partners
            only: http://www.justpartnercenter.com


  • 3.  Re: [dita] Finding descriptions of DITA attributes

    Posted 10-14-2010 07:45 
    
  
    
  
  
    Hi Su-Laine,

    I completely agree with you. Perhaps this could be a priority item
    for the improvements to OASIS-sponsored DITA adoption websites.

    (Thank you for not suggesting changing all attribute names to
    something unusual like "xtrf". I have a strong suspicion that some
    nitpickers would regard this as a substantive change to the DITA 1.2
    draft! ;) )
    Regards,

Doug Morrison
Information Architect
http://dita4all.com


    On 14/10/2010 01:41, Su-Laine Yeo wrote:
    
    BECDDDED92C3B949A38F5BC4BF56D21F03F92EC0@van-mail.jena.local" type="cite">
      
      
      
      
      
    Hi everyone,
    
      
    (Please note
            that this is not a request to change the DITA 1.2 draft :) )
    
      
    It has come
            to my attention that if you are trying to understand the
            purpose of a particular DITA attribute, the language
            reference leaves something to be
            desired. If you want to know more about a particular
            element, there is an alphabetical list of elements.
            For attributes, there is no alphabetical list, and the
            documentation is in organized according to what the
            attributes are used for. So you
            sort of have to already know something about what an
            attribute is used for in order to find out what it is used
            for.
    
      
    Doing a
            plain-text search on the attribute name is
            useful, if circuitous, for attributes with odd
            names like "xtrf". It is a
            lot less useful
            for attributes with English names like "base". 
    
      
    A hyperlinked
            alphabetical list of DITA attributes
            would be very helpful. Does anyone know
            of a quick way to generate one? 
    
      
    Regards,
    
      
    Su-Laine
    
      
    
      
    Su-Laine
              Yeo
            Solutions
            Consultant 
    
      
    JustSystems
              Canada, Inc.
                Office: 778-327-6356
              syeo@justsystems.com
    
      
    
      
    XMetaL
            Community Forums: http://forums.xmetal.com
    
      
    For partners
            only: http://www.justpartnercenter.com


  • 4.  RE: [dita] Finding descriptions of DITA attributes

    Posted 10-14-2010 11:15 
    











    


    Hi Su-Laine,
    


    


    It should be possible to code this as an XSLT transformation,
perhaps requiring some Java code to help along. Are there any programmers on
the DITA Adoption TC who would like to tackle this? If not, I'll see if I can
get one of our students to do this as a little project. It would probably be
useful to generate a list of elements too, so we could have a tool that
generates an alphabetical list of elements and/or attributes from any source
DITA files – think of specializations beyond the spec – such a plug-in to the
toolkit (or a standalone kit) would probably be useful to specializers to help
them document their work.
    


    


    


    Cheers,
    


    Gershon
    


    


    


    


    


    From: Su-Laine Yeo
[mailto:su-laine.yeo@justsystems.com]
    
Sent: Thursday, October 14, 2010 2:41 AM
    
To: DITA TC; DITA Adoption TC
    
Subject: [dita] Finding descriptions of DITA attributes
    


    


    


    


    Hi everyone,
    


    (Please note that this is
not a request to change the DITA 1.2 draft :) )
    


    It has come to my attention
that if you are trying to understand the purpose of a particular DITA attribute,
the language reference
leaves something to be
desired. If you want to know more about a particular element, there is an
alphabetical list of elements.
For attributes, there is no alphabetical list, and the documentation is in
organized according to what the attributes are used for. So you sort of have to
already know something about what an attribute is used for in order to find out
what it is used for.
    


    Doing a plain-text search
on the attribute name is
useful, if circuitous, for
attributes with odd names
like "xtrf". It is a
lot less useful for attributes with English
names like "base". 
    


    A hyperlinked alphabetical
list of DITA attributes would be very helpful.
Does anyone know of a quick way to generate one?

    


    Regards,
    


    Su-Laine
    


    Su-Laine Yeo
    
Solutions Consultant

    


    JustSystems
Canada, Inc.
    
    Office:
778-327-6356
    
    syeo@justsystems.com
    


    XMetaL
Community Forums: http://forums.xmetal.com
    


    For partners
only: http://www.justpartnercenter.com


  • 5.  RE: [dita] Finding descriptions of DITA attributes

    Posted 10-14-2010 11:15 
    











    


    Hi Su-Laine,
    


    


    It should be possible to code this as an XSLT transformation,
perhaps requiring some Java code to help along. Are there any programmers on
the DITA Adoption TC who would like to tackle this? If not, I'll see if I can
get one of our students to do this as a little project. It would probably be
useful to generate a list of elements too, so we could have a tool that
generates an alphabetical list of elements and/or attributes from any source
DITA files – think of specializations beyond the spec – such a plug-in to the
toolkit (or a standalone kit) would probably be useful to specializers to help
them document their work.
    


    


    


    Cheers,
    


    Gershon
    


    


    


    


    


    From: Su-Laine Yeo
[mailto:su-laine.yeo@justsystems.com]
    
Sent: Thursday, October 14, 2010 2:41 AM
    
To: DITA TC; DITA Adoption TC
    
Subject: [dita] Finding descriptions of DITA attributes
    


    


    


    


    Hi everyone,
    


    (Please note that this is
not a request to change the DITA 1.2 draft :) )
    


    It has come to my attention
that if you are trying to understand the purpose of a particular DITA attribute,
the language reference
leaves something to be
desired. If you want to know more about a particular element, there is an
alphabetical list of elements.
For attributes, there is no alphabetical list, and the documentation is in
organized according to what the attributes are used for. So you sort of have to
already know something about what an attribute is used for in order to find out
what it is used for.
    


    Doing a plain-text search
on the attribute name is
useful, if circuitous, for
attributes with odd names
like "xtrf". It is a
lot less useful for attributes with English
names like "base". 
    


    A hyperlinked alphabetical
list of DITA attributes would be very helpful.
Does anyone know of a quick way to generate one?

    


    Regards,
    


    Su-Laine
    


    Su-Laine Yeo
    
Solutions Consultant

    


    JustSystems
Canada, Inc.
    
    Office:
778-327-6356
    
    syeo@justsystems.com
    


    XMetaL
Community Forums: http://forums.xmetal.com
    


    For partners
only: http://www.justpartnercenter.com


  • 6.  RE: [dita] Finding descriptions of DITA attributes

    Posted 10-14-2010 14:23 
    Hi Gershon,

I could probably do this without too much trouble. I'm swamped for the next two week though, and probably couldn't start work on this until the beginning of November. Hopefully someone else could do it sooner. If not, I'd be happy to take a shot.

- Bryan
________________________________________
From: Gershon Joseph (gerjosep) [gerjosep@cisco.com]
Sent: Thursday, October 14, 2010 4:15 AM
To: Su-Laine Yeo; DITA TC; DITA Adoption TC
Subject: RE: [dita] Finding descriptions of DITA attributes

Hi Su-Laine,

It should be possible to code this as an XSLT transformation, perhaps requiring some Java code to help along. Are there any programmers on the DITA Adoption TC who would like to tackle this? If not, I'll see if I can get one of our students to do this as a little project. It would probably be useful to generate a list of elements too, so we could have a tool that generates an alphabetical list of elements and/or attributes from any source DITA files – think of specializations beyond the spec – such a plug-in to the toolkit (or a standalone kit) would probably be useful to specializers to help them document their work.

Cheers,
Gershon

From: Su-Laine Yeo [mailto:su-laine.yeo@justsystems.com]
Sent: Thursday, October 14, 2010 2:41 AM
To: DITA TC; DITA Adoption TC
Subject: [dita] Finding descriptions of DITA attributes


Hi everyone,

(Please note that this is not a request to change the DITA 1.2 draft :) )

It has come to my attention that if you are trying to understand the purpose of a particular DITA attribute, the language reference leaves something to be desired. If you want to know more about a particular element, there is an alphabetical list of elements. For attributes, there is no alphabetical list, and the documentation is in organized according to what the attributes are used for. So you sort of have to already know something about what an attribute is used for in order to find out what it is used for.

Doing a plain-text search on the attribute name is useful, if circuitous, for attributes with odd names like "xtrf". It is a lot less useful for attributes with English names like "base".

A hyperlinked alphabetical list of DITA attributes would be very helpful. Does anyone know of a quick way to generate one?

Regards,

Su-Laine

Su-Laine Yeo
Solutions Consultant

JustSystems Canada, Inc.
Office: 778-327-6356
syeo@justsystems.com


  • 7.  RE: [dita] Finding descriptions of DITA attributes

    Posted 10-14-2010 14:23 
    Hi Gershon,

I could probably do this without too much trouble. I'm swamped for the next two week though, and probably couldn't start work on this until the beginning of November. Hopefully someone else could do it sooner. If not, I'd be happy to take a shot.

- Bryan
________________________________________
From: Gershon Joseph (gerjosep) [gerjosep@cisco.com]
Sent: Thursday, October 14, 2010 4:15 AM
To: Su-Laine Yeo; DITA TC; DITA Adoption TC
Subject: RE: [dita] Finding descriptions of DITA attributes

Hi Su-Laine,

It should be possible to code this as an XSLT transformation, perhaps requiring some Java code to help along. Are there any programmers on the DITA Adoption TC who would like to tackle this? If not, I'll see if I can get one of our students to do this as a little project. It would probably be useful to generate a list of elements too, so we could have a tool that generates an alphabetical list of elements and/or attributes from any source DITA files – think of specializations beyond the spec – such a plug-in to the toolkit (or a standalone kit) would probably be useful to specializers to help them document their work.

Cheers,
Gershon

From: Su-Laine Yeo [mailto:su-laine.yeo@justsystems.com]
Sent: Thursday, October 14, 2010 2:41 AM
To: DITA TC; DITA Adoption TC
Subject: [dita] Finding descriptions of DITA attributes


Hi everyone,

(Please note that this is not a request to change the DITA 1.2 draft :) )

It has come to my attention that if you are trying to understand the purpose of a particular DITA attribute, the language reference leaves something to be desired. If you want to know more about a particular element, there is an alphabetical list of elements. For attributes, there is no alphabetical list, and the documentation is in organized according to what the attributes are used for. So you sort of have to already know something about what an attribute is used for in order to find out what it is used for.

Doing a plain-text search on the attribute name is useful, if circuitous, for attributes with odd names like "xtrf". It is a lot less useful for attributes with English names like "base".

A hyperlinked alphabetical list of DITA attributes would be very helpful. Does anyone know of a quick way to generate one?

Regards,

Su-Laine

Su-Laine Yeo
Solutions Consultant

JustSystems Canada, Inc.
Office: 778-327-6356
syeo@justsystems.com