Re: DOCBOOK: IndexTerm: why not See+ ?

[Norman Walsh <ndw at nwalsh dot com>]

/ Peter Ring <PRI@cddk.dk> was heard to say:
| I'm trying to figure out whether to add an attribute to 
| let authors/mark-up'ers (what are they called?) indicate 
| the preferred formatting of the resulting index entry for 
| each IndexTerm, e.g., ordinary with page number, with a 
| section number, with the contents of a title element, or 
| whatever. I might just add a 'Format' attribute similar 
| this one:
| 
| Format  ( Default
|         | Page 
|         | Section 
|         | Title 
|         | Whatever )  Default  -- Preferred format of index entry --

DocBook already has 'Significance' which allows, for example,
some page numbers to be bold. I've rarely seen print indexes
that included more than page numbers, but if you have them,
adding an attribute to control the presentation doesn't seem
unreasonable.

Online indexes are another matter. Despite considerable thought
and more than one experiment, I have yet to come up with a
system that I think works well in all cases.

| or maybe make it CDATA so that I don't have to release a new 
| DTD when the need for more formats arise, 

My advice is to stay away from CDATA for lists that you expect
to have discrete values. Other users can always customize your DTD
(especially if you design it that way).

If you think it's important to have an escape hatch, you might
add an 'other' value to format and an 'otherformat' attribute that
is CDATA.

| or maybe invent Yet Another Link Description Language,

Whatever turns you on :-)

| or maybe just rely on context and processing to figure out 
| how to present the reference.

Yes, rely on the stylesheet, if you think that the processing
expecatations can be determined externally. (I'd lean that way
myself, unless you really have reason to think it won't work.)

                                        Cheers,
                                          norm

-- 
Norman Walsh <ndw@nwalsh.com>      | A new scientific truth does not
http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/ | triumph by convincing its
Member, DocBook Editorial Board    | opponents and making them see the
                                   | light, but rather because its
                                   | opponents eventually die, and a
                                   | new generation grows up that is
                                   | familiar with it (Planck 1949)