Re: Playing with the spec
>>"Jorge" == Jorge Godoy <godoy@conectiva.com.br> writes:
Jorge> In SGML and similar tools we use the catalogs to specify which
Jorge> file we are using. By using the correct public identifier,
Jorge> your parser or converter or whatever can go to the correct
Jorge> file. Using these catalogs it makes of no importance where are
Jorge> your files (DTD, stylesheet, etc.).
So far, this cuts both ways. In other words, this in no way
mititgates against a single directory for all dtd's.
Jorge> This specification is being suggested to easy the maintenance
Jorge> and integration with other tools.
As an end user fo the specification, I do not find the
directory structure actually easing my task (I am involved in
determining policy for one of the Linux distributions).
Jorge> The suggested directories were using version numbers to
Jorge> minimize the interference with original's filenames. We don't
Jorge> want to patch already written catalogs so that they can look
Jorge> at our directory and be correct.
But this makes it harder for folks who already have local
policies, and already massage the packages to fit into that local
policy.
Jorge> No using version numbers and placing all the files on the same
Jorge> directory would be intrusive with new packages and with
Jorge> already written ones. We'd have to, e.g., change all existing
Jorge> docbook catalogs from the DTDs and stylesheets.
I'd have to put that in perpective. It is possible that some
catalog files for some packages would have to be changed anyway --
there is no way the standard can accomodate all the DTD packages,
past, present, and future (and not all package authors are going to
automatically conform to this standard, espescially if we over
specify requirements).
Jorge> It's common to find catalogs using relative paths. It's not specified
Jorge> their root directory, but they use directories within where they are
Jorge> or in some relative way that is common to have them installed. We'd
Jorge> have to patch these too.
How hard is it to actually change the catalogs? I can supply a
simple little perl script that can easily handle the change.
Jorge> Using version numbers to each DTD or stylesheet that we use is not too
Jorge> hard to maintain and we can benefit from the already made catalogs
Jorge> with little or none changes on it.
And if docbook is all you are looking for, perhaps that is
reasonable. But from the perpective of a distribution developer, this
would mean a rapidly burgeoning dir structure that is not
reasonable.
Jorge> That was my main intention when I've suggested using version numbers.
For the docbook people, this sounds reasonable. On a broader
SGML/XML perpective, this is not.
And if a few preinstalled vatalogfiles are all that we have to
care about, I don't find this argument compelling at all.
manoj
--
.. I used to get in more fights with SCO than I did my girlfriend,
but now, thanks to Linux, she has more than happily accepted her
place back at number one antagonist in my life.. Jason Stiefel,
krypto@s30.nmex.com
Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@acm.org> <http://www.datasync.com/%7Esrivasta/>
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