With the almost certain inclusion of scoped keys in 1.3, one of the main motivations for having a separate variables facility is removed, namely the need to have variables scoped within maps. While other important variable features, such as being able to define them within topics and topic content and the ability to define fallback values within topics, cannot be implemented with keys as currently defined, I don't think those requirements are sufficiently compelling to justify the cost of this proposal at this time. In addition, a version of this facility is already available through the DITA for Publishers project, so anyone who wants the mechanism has access to it and that design can be refined as desired independent from the TC's work. Therefore I propose to withdraw proposal 13088. Cheers, Eliot -- Eliot Kimber Senior Solutions Architect, RSI Content Solutions "Bringing Strategy, Content, and Technology Together" Main: 512.554.9368
www.rsicms.com www.rsuitecms.com Book: DITA For Practitioners, from XML Press,
http://xmlpress.net/publications/dita/practitioners-1/