[osis-core] Reference systems: proposal

[Harry Plantinga]

Here are some specific syntax-related implications of the proposal:


1. Drop refSystem and refSystems elements. A reference system is defined
by a document or work, and a work is identified in a <work> element. 

2. If you want to access a work by a foreign reference system, do so by
specifying the external osisWork ID in the <work> element.  Perhaps:

  <refSystem>Bible.KJV</refSystem>

- osisRefs use osisWork: prefix.  It refers to a <work> element. There
is no option for specifying a reference system.  If "Bible:" is the
osisWork prefix, you can say 

  osisRef="Matt.1.1 Matt.1.2 Matt.1.3 Matt.1.4"

otherwise you'd have to say

  osisRef="Bible:Matt.1.1 Bible:Matt.1.2 Bible:Matt.1.3"

3. Each document defines a reference system, which is identified by the
osis work ID of the document, e.g. augustine_confessions.spck1912 or
Bible.LXX.1912.en.  This identfier is given in the <osisText
osisWork="Bible.LXX.1912.en">

[no schema changes required]

4. A document's osisID attribute values that don't have a workID: prefix
are deemed to be the osisIDs of the document's osis Work ID.  That is,
if I have

  <osisText osisWork="augustine_confessions.spck1912">
  ...
  <p osisID="X.4">

the X.4 is a part of the augustine_confessions.spck1912 reference
system.

[no schema changes required]

5. The intent is to create documents that define Bible, Bible.KJV,
Bible.LXX, etc in order to define those reference systems.

-----------------------------------------------------------

So far, this is like the current system as far as I can tell, except
that it drops refSystem and refSystems from the header and adds a (much
simpler) <refSystem> to the <work> element.  I'm going to keep thinking
about it for bit;
more posts may follow.

-Harry