[osis-core] No general ID/IDREF?

[Patrick Durusau]

Todd,

Almost dinner time so let me print this one out and think about it for a 
while. Perhaps if I go down the list of elements and see where I would 
think ID/IDREF would be useful would be the place to start.

I think you have a good argument about simply defaulting too many 
attributes, but I am not sure on which elements it is too much and on 
which ones it is too little.

Steve: any feel for actual ID/IDREF usage? Am I just perpetuating a 
legacy that is no longer relevant?

Will post again, hopefully tonight, more likely in the morning.

Oh, on the conference call, we will work something around your schedule, 
even if I have to call you separately depending on everyone else's schedule.

Patrick

Todd Tillinghast wrote:

>Where there are to many attributes that could be used interchangeably,
>there will tend to be as many ways to encode as there are encoders.  The
>argument can be made for having ID, IDREF, IDREFS, OSISID, OSISIDREF,
>OSISIDREFS, reference, and referneceEnd on each element.  
>
>QUESTION: Is there a reason to use ID/IDREF when we could use
>OSISID/OSISIDREF and encourage (but not force) some consistency in
>practice? (Say always use OSISID/OSISIDREF where we might be tempted to
>put ID/IDREF.  Are there any reasons to not do this?)
>
>QUESTION: Can we get by with either "reference", and "referneceEnd" in
>almost all cases where we would be tempted to add in ID/IDREF?  
>
>I can see value in allowing people to have IDs for <div> and <p>
>elements.  But I would say lets put out OSIS_1000 without them and then
>see what the need is and what people want them for.  There may be a
>better solution for these problems we have not yet encountered other
>than just using ID.
>
>Note: IDREF can also cause people a lot of trouble.  This particurally
>painful when they want to break a document into multiple pieces but the
>IDs for the IDREFs are now in the other document.  This is a good reason
>to use and not use IDREFs.  
>
>Note: People can always add an additional character to the end of
>OSISID/OSISIDREF/ReferenceType to get a unique id.
>(OSISID="Bible.TEV..Ps.41.1-TODD" or
>reference="Orgname.internalIndexTypeA..Vol1.33.2.1.a" or even
>OSISID="Splat")  Since anyone can come up with their own reference
>system they are not precluded from doing what they want.  However,
>people will follow the path of least resistance.  So if they put in
>PSALMS.1.4 and it does not validate using the commonly agreed upon
>standard instantly then they would be inclined to say "OK, I'll just use
>ID instead and forget about using OSISID/OSISIDREF/ReferenceType".  
>This way if they want to use OSISScripture_1000.xsd then they would have
>to convert to the "standard" Ps.1.4 when they encode things.  Or else do
>the WORK to create there own validation
>(UGLYScripture_nobodysStandard.xsd).  As it sits if multiple
>organizations use OSISScripture_0100.xsd they will all be assured of a
>general interoperability.
>
>
>I would say leave ID, IDREF, IDREFS, OSISID, OSISIDREF, and OSISIDREFS
>out of all but the milestone, <div>, and <p> elements.  (Of course
>leaving in reference and referenceEnd.)
>
>Todd
>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: owner-osis-core@bibletechnologieswg.org [mailto:owner-osis-
>>core@bibletechnologieswg.org] On Behalf Of Patrick Durusau
>>Sent: Friday, April 12, 2002 8:50 AM
>>To: osis-core
>>Subject: [osis-core] No general ID/IDREF?
>>
>>Todd,
>>
>>Working through the schema and noticed that you dropped ID and IDREF
>>
>on
>
>>all elements? Understand the need on milestones (so you don't conflict
>>with the subclassing of OSISID from xs:ID) but why are we dropping
>>ID/IDREF from all other elements?
>>
>>I can imagine ID being useful in a number of situations, even if we
>>don't do referenceType validation. Users may want to define their own
>>references for elements (for any number of reasons) and ID/IDREF
>>
>allows
>
>>them to do so without extending or conflicting with the reference
>>
>system
>
>>you have in place.
>>
>>Was there some reason to drop ID/IDREF? We can always make them
>>
>optional
>
>>so users don't have to use them.
>>
>>Patrick
>>
>>--
>>Patrick Durusau
>>Director of Research and Development
>>Society of Biblical Literature
>>pdurusau@emory.edu
>>
>

-- 
Patrick Durusau
Director of Research and Development
Society of Biblical Literature
pdurusau@emory.edu