[oXygen-user] topicref @href vs @conref and author mode

[Radu Coravu]

Hi Mario,

The only grammar capable to express this constraint (that an element in 
one file references another element, possibly in another file which is 
similar to it) would be Schematron.
DTD or XML Schema grammars which can be used with DITA files definitely 
cannot express this.
And having an additional Schematron grammar to inforce complex rules 
like this besides the associated DTD is definitely an alternative which 
needs to be explored.

Regards,
Radu
-- 
Radu Coravu
<oXygen/> XML Editor, Schema Editor and XSLT Editor/Debugger
http://www.oxygenxml.com

Mario Madunic wrote:
> Thanks Radu and Eliot.
>
> I'll test the file asap Radu and should have an answer back to you today. 
>
> One point though (no flame intended, just an observation), best practice/design rules that could be placed in the schemas. @conref is not invalid according to the schemas but to best practice or design rules. This is one issue I have with DITA.
>
> Marijan (Mario) Madunic
> Publishing Specialist
> New Flyer Industries
> (204) 934 8815
> 
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Radu Coravu [mailto:] 
> Sent: Thursday, October 15, 2009 9:26 AM
> To: Mario Madunic
> Cc: 
> Subject: Re: [oXygen-user] topicref @href vs @conref and author mode
>
> Dear Mario,
>
> Thank you for contacting us.
>
> I understand your usecase and why you were renaming topicref @href to @conref.
> The Oxygen 10.x versions were more relaxed when resolving @conref and they were indeed expanding the @conref in the Author page even in your case.
> In Oxygen 11 a stricter validation is done and the following error should appear when using a @conref between incompatible source and target:
>
> ---------------
> Conref was not expanded:
> The source element "topicref" with class value "- map/topicref " is not a generalization of target element "topic" with class value "- topic/topic "
> ----------------
>
> The reason you are getting
> ---------------
> "Error - recursion detected when expanding reference: 
> topics/task_task123.dita#topic123!"
> ---------------
> instead is that there is a bug in Oxygen 11 which was already fixed a couple of days ago. The fix will be incorporated in a new Oxygen 11 build available from our site in a short time.
>
> Anyway, changing the @href to @conref is incorrect and Oxygen 11 will no longer expand such content references in the Author (because the source and target are incompatible elements).
> Also, the fact that the published output also does not work is correct (so in Oxygen 11 the published output and the expansion of @conref in Author are similar).
>
> The @conref attribute can basically be used on a topic reference only to reference to another topic reference.
>
> And now for the workaround:
> In a future version we will think to provide an option to expand @href's in the Author mode for DITA Maps just as if they would be @conref's.
> In the meantime I attached a modified version of the dita extension library which does just that (expands all topicref hrefs to the referenced content).
> Just rename the "OXYGEN_INSTALL_DIR\frameworks\dita\dita.jar" library and copy the attached library in its place.
> It should work as you want so you will no longer have to change @href's to @conref's.
>
> Please tell us if the modified library worked.
>
> Regards,
> Radu
> --
> Radu Coravu
> <oXygen/> XML Editor, Schema Editor and XSLT Editor/Debugger http://www.oxygenxml.com
>
> Mario Madunic wrote:
>   
>> All the examples of topicrefs I’ve seen use @href when referencing 
>> topics. When viewed in author mode all I see is “topicref” with a grey 
>> background. But when I change the @href to @conref in 10.2 and 10.3 
>> the topicrefs are resolved and I can see basically what the output 
>> will look like. In 11 the following error appears:
>>
>>  
>>
>> Error - recursion detected when expanding reference: 
>> topics/task_task123.dita#topic123!
>>
>>  
>>
>> Should the topicrefs only contain @href?
>>
>>  
>>
>> The above behaviour is a really nice to have. Also tried having both 
>> @href and @conref and found that the PDF plug-in in the OT does not 
>> output the content that is referenced. Only when @href exists (no
>> @conref) does the PDF plug-in resolve all the references.
>>
>>  
>>
>> We like the behaviour of seeing the map resolved in author mode, as it 
>> will show what the output will basically look like and very quickly.
>> We prefer this over continually parsing the map into PDF as our 
>> manuals are 1000+ pages and image intensive and does take quite a bit 
>> of time.
>>
>>  
>>
>> Marijan (Mario) Madunic
>>
>> Publishing Specialist
>>
>> New Flyer Industries
>>
>> (204) 934 8815
>>
>> 
>>
>>  
>>
>>     
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.
>
> CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT: This communication (and  any and all information or material transmitted with this communication) is confidential, may be privileged and is intended only for the use of the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient, any review, retransmission, circulation, distribution, reproduction, conversion to hard copy, copying or other use of this communication, information or material is strictly prohibited and may be illegal. If you received this communication in error or if it is forwarded to you without the express authorization of New Flyer, please notify us immediately by telephone or by return email and permanently delete the communication, information and material from any computer, disk drive, diskette or other storage device or media. Thank you.
>
>