[topicmapmail] themes to be added architectural form

[Knud Steiner]

hello list,

im not sure that i have completely understood the

<themes to be added architectural form>

defined by the topic map standard.

my understanding is the following:

(1) a topic map (instance) document my containt any number to <addthms> 
elements.

(2) a particular <addthms> element must at least reference one topic acting 
as theme (the topic can be stored
in any topic map document) via the <addthems> attibute.

(3) the <tmdocs> attribute may contain references to any number of topic 
map document entities with the
following effect: all scopes of topic characterstic assignments defined in 
these tmdocs references are extendet by the themes specified by the 
<addthems> attibute.

(4) the <cassigns> attrbiute may contain references to any number of 
particular topic map model elements (topic,
topname, basename, dispname, sortname, occurs or assoc) in any tmdocs thus 
enabling a topic map designer to entend the scopes defined by the <scope> 
attribute of the references elements with the themes specified by the 
<addthems> attibute at a high level of granularity.

so the <cassigns> attribute may references, for example, 5 particular 
<topic> elements, 1 particular <sortname> element and 17 particular <assoc> 
elements each stored in a different topic map document.

or:

e.g. the scope of a particular <dispname> element of a particular topic can 
be extended by this mechanism, or,
at a lower level of granularity, a particular <topname> element with the 
effect that the containing <basename>,
<sortname> and <dispname> elements scoped, too (implicitly).

i emanate from from my understanding that there is some 'theme-inheritace' 
relationship between containing and
contained elements of the topic map model that have a scope attrbute.

e.g. the scope of a particular <dispname> element are all themes defined by 
this element itself, plus
       all the themes specified by the containing <topname> element, plus
       all the themes specified by the containing <topic> element, in turn, 
plus
       all the themes specified by the containg <topicmap> element via its 
<addthems> attribute, in turn, plus

       all the themes specified by an <addthms> element (in any tmdoc), 
that references the tmdoc storing the <dispname>
       element in question, plus
       all the the all the themes specified by an <addthms> element (in any 
tmdoc) that references the <dispname>
       element in question directly.

am i confused??? :)

looking forward to your comments!

thank you very much and best regards!


knud steiner.