[osis-core] Reference Syntax Proposal

[Todd Tillinghast]

> Troy,
> 
> Troy A. Griffitts wrote:
> 
> > Todd Tillinghast wrote:
> >
> >>> Quick clarification:
> >>>
> >>>
> >
> > I think Patrick's suggestion (let me word it in my terms and see if
> > Patrick corrects me) is good which states:
> >
> > If a document claims it uses/implements say, the KJV versification
> > scheme, then Mat, Mat.1, Mat.1.6 are all ok, AND
> > Mat.1.6.myOwnSubdivision is also perfectly ok.
> >
> > if this document actually wishes anyone outside this document to be
> > able to reach Mat.1.6.myOwnSubdivision with an osisRef, then that
> > document would have to define its own KJVextended reference system
> > (probably not very common, if ever).
> 
> Yes!
> 

How would we differentiate between cases where the encoder has gone
their own way and extended the reference system from the actual
reference system.

It seems that we are taking liberties with the identifiers defined by
the reference system without an delineation between where the reference
system identifier ends and where the extension begins.  It would seem
that if we want to do this sort of thing that we should at least be
clear where the extension is.  (For example Matt.1.6@a)

But I am not sure what purpose the extension is trying to serve.  Can
someone enlighten me regarding what benefit there is by allowing the
extension behavior.  All I see are multiple step searches and no clear
benefit.

Do we only allow extension to standard references that have the MAXIMUM
number of number of identifiers defined by the reference system? Can I
say Matt.1.myOwnSubdivision and Matt.1.44 to both mean subdivisions of
Matt.1 of my own design?  Also potentially problematic is the "Hebrew"
reference system Patrick has reference to in the past, which seems to
have an "a" and "b" part for the verses in the Psalms, but not in the
rest of the Bible.  In this case we would have to intuitively know that
"Ps.1.1.a" is a standard identifier and not an extension.  We could
however extend it with "Ps.1.1.a.a" and "Ps.1.1.a.b" AND could
ambiguously extend "Ps.1.1" with "Ps.1.1.a"!

Todd