[topicmapmail] XTM Datatypes [Was: Adding weigths to associations]

[Murray Altheim]

Martin Bryan wrote:

> Lars et al
> 
>>It is. If people feel this is a problem *now* is the time to shout.
>>There's a window of opportunity for getting this into the new ISO
>>13250 which is still open, but shrinking fast...
> 
> SHOUT, LOAD AND HARD


A bit unnecessary; we can hear you.


> I have always contended that this is one of the worse failings of XTM. ISO
> 13250 always has, and always will, allow embedded Topic Maps. If the
> interchange format does not allow this then the interchange format is only
> partially relevant to Topic Map applications.


No, it's designed exactly as it is labeled, as an interchange format.
As such, it can be used in topic map applications. If your topic map
application can't import XTM, then it's only partially relevant. If
there is an ISO 13250-compliant application that requires the ability
to combine serialized topic map information with other content, then
that's not described in the XTM specification. That doesn't preclude
you from doing it, it merely means that XTM-supporting tools won't
know what to do with it.

In my case, my enthusiasm for a combination is based on the fact
that it's extremely easy to write a small method that either
combines or extracts an intact XTM document from a "combination"
document. The issue of ID namespaces is something *I* will deal
with, and like all other messy issues that arise when mixing
namespaces (the issues we wisely chose to avoid in the design of
XTM, as an interchange format), these can be dealt with in
specific ways, in specific settings.

I don't know why you'd want to ruin an interchange format by
allowing all manner of markup, making the bar to entry and interchange
quite a bit higher than necessary, unless you're keen on keeping the
ability to use topic maps within a small cult of experts. Look at RDF
-- it's extremely difficult for a designer/programmer to implement a
system that can intelligently import "wild" RDF content. Or look at
HTML -- what a mess. Then look at DocBook, or XTM. It's nice being
able to rely on *something* in this industry, and I think having a
fixed notation for interchange is a good thing.

Murray

......................................................................
Murray Altheim                  <http://kmi.open.ac.uk/people/murray/>
Knowledge Media Institute
The Open University, Milton Keynes, Bucks, MK7 6AA, UK

            If you're the first person in a new territory,
            you're likely to get shot at.
                                                     -- ma