[osis-core] references and self-ids Part 3 - Proposal

[Todd Tillinghast]

The follow are a list of proposed ideas related to references:
(Each item is largely independent from the others.)

1) I think declaring in the header the reference systems or reference
system/work pairs used in a document is a great idea.  (This is not
really a proposal.)

2) I would like to propose that when creating a reference or a self-id
that work ALWAYS be a part of the attribute that is contains the
reference itself if not defaulted.  Since we are relying on techniques
other than valuators for validating the rest of the reference why not
make the work and the reference itself a single attribute.  This will
leave room for validation based on "derived" schema, since a regular
expression can be written for a single data type but can not be written
to act contingently based on the values of two (or more) attributes.  

Although having the work as a separate attribute provides to opportunity
to match occurrences with matching definitions in the header, the
validation is weak and the opportunity for richer validation for the
entire reference out weights the value of simple work validation.    

3) I would like to propose that grain exist as an option for all
references AND self-ids.

4) I would like to propose that all references AND self-ids be allowed
to optionally be ranges.  This is needed to self-id verses that are not
broken into distinct verses in the translation being encoded and a
single <verse> element represents several logical verses in the defined
reference system.  (If we do not adopt this concept for self-ids then we
will be forced to create a reference system for each minor variation
that individual translations take on the basic reference systems.)

This could allows for self-ids for higher level containers like <p> and
<div>.  (I am "Matt.13.10-Matt.13.17" as seen in the Matt.13 encoding I
send out Sunday.)

5) I would like to propose that we adopt one of the two following
options for ALL references and self-ids:

5a) OPTION 1:
reference or self-ID: [referencePrefix:]ref[@grain][-ref[@grain]] 
where referencePrefix is defined in the header and behaves like a
namespace prefix that defines a reference system or a reference system
and a specific work.


Example:
<references>
	<referencePrefixDefault referenceSystem="Bible.NRSV"
work="Bible.TEV"/>
	<referencePrefix refID="KJV" referenceSystem="Bible.KJV.1612"/>
	<referencePrefix refID="NRSV" referenceSystem="Bible.NRSV"/>
	<referencePrefix refID="FrTEV"
referenceSystem=Bible.FrenchReferenceSystem" work="Bible.TEV"/>
	<referencePrefix refID="TEV" referenceSystem=Bible.NRSV"
work=Bible.TEV"/>
	<referencePrefix refID="sorted"
referenceSystem="Bible.Todd.SequentiallyIDedSortedByTextValueOfVersesOfT
EV" work="Bible.TEV"/>
</references>
...
<verse osisID="Gen.1.1">...</verse> <!--implies
"Bible.NRSV(Bible.TEV):Gen.1.1" -->

<reference ref="KJV:Gen.1.1">Gen 1:1 using the KJV 1612 reference system
but not specifying any work.</reference>

<reference ref="Gen.1.1">a reference to the default reference system and
work if specified.</reference>

<reference ref="sorted:16">a reference to the sixteenth verse from the
TEV when the verses are sorted based on the text value of the
verses.</reference>

<reference ref=Bible.FrenchReferenceSystem(Bible.TEV):Ps.55.22">a
reference expressed using the French reference system AND specifying the
TEV version.</reference>

5b) OPTION 2:
reference or self-ID:
[referenceSystem[(work)]:]ref[@grain][-ref[@grain]]

Provide a richer syntax for "references" and require the full reference
system or reference system and work if not the default.

Example:
<references>
	<referenceSystemDefault
referenceSystem="Bible.NRSV(Bible.TEV)"/>
	<referenceSystem referenceSystem="Bible.KJV.1612"/>
	<referenceSystem referenceSystem="Bible.NRSV"/>
	<referenceSystem referenceSystem=Bible.NRSV(Bible.TEV)"/>
	<referenceSystem
referenceSystem=Bible.FrenchReferenceSystem(Bible.TEV)"/>
	<referenceSystem
referenceSystem="Bible.Todd.SequentiallyIDedSortedByTextValueOfVersesOfT
EV(Bible.TEV)"/>
</references>
...
<verse osisID="Gen.1.1">...</verse> <!--implies
"Bible.NRSV(Bible.TEV):Gen.1.1" -->

<reference ref="Bible.KJV.1612:Gen.1.1">Gen 1:1 using the KJV 1612
reference system but not specifying any work.</reference>

<reference ref="Gen.1.1">a reference to the default reference system and
work if specified.</reference>

<reference
ref="Bible.Todd.SequentiallyIDedSortedByTextValueOfVersesOfTEV(Bible.TEV
):16">a reference to the sixteenth verse from the TEV when the verses
are sorted based on the text value of the verses.</reference>

<reference ref=Bible.FrenchReferenceSystem(Bible.TEV):Ps.55.22">a
reference expressed using the French reference system AND specifying the
TEV version.</reference>


6) I would like to propose that the FORM but NOT the VALUES within a
reference AND self-id be validated in the core.

Example:
number: any integer
XMLName: a valid XML name
basicOSISIDStructure: one or more XML name separated by periods
referenceSystem: basicOSISIDStructure
work: basicOSISIDStructure
ref: basicOSISIDStructure
grain: char.number | enum.XMLName | word.number 
referenceStructure: [referenceSystem[(work)]:]ref[@grain][-ref[@grain]]
self-id: referenceStructure
reference: referenceStructure

7) remove osisWork, cite, and outCite from globalAttributes (leaving
osisID to be self-id as described in #6)

8) Make osisID of some type other than xs:string.

9) Use the reference element for all other pointing needs.  (using the
reference structure described in #6)

Todd