[topicmapmail] basics

[Knud Möller]

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Hi!

> 1. What kind of value do I give best to ids?
> =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 a) alphanumeric (as shown below) or
> =A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 b) rather the name of the object (id=3D"device")

My answer to this would be: it doesn't matter, as long as every id in a =20=

given document is unique. ids which have semantic content =20
understandable for a human make it easier for humans to read and =20
understand an xtm-document. However, for a machine-based TM-engine the =20=

form of the ids doesn't matter.

> 2. The xtm dtd provides an id for each element.
> =A0=A0=A0 What is the consequence (for applications, queries, etc.)
> =A0=A0=A0 if I give an id to e.g. baseName or if I omit it?

As far as I know, the only advantage of any XML-element having an id is =20=

that it provides you with a means to refer to that element. So, if you =20=

ever want to refer to a basename, you would have to provide it with an =20=

id. This situation could e.g. arise if you want to reifiy the basename =20=

(or any other element within a TM). You could then have the =20
subjectIndicator of the reifying topic point to the basename's id. If =20=

the basename did not have an id, there would be no way to do that.

Cheers,
Knud
------------------------------------------------------------------------=20=

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Knud M=F6ller -  Institut f=FCr Sprachliche Informationsverarbeitung,
Universit=E4t zu K=F6ln
(Department of Linguistic Data Processing,
University of Cologne, Germany)=

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Hi!


<excerpt><fontfamily><param>Arial</param><smaller>1. What kind of
value do I give best to ids?

</smaller></fontfamily>=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0
<fontfamily><param>Arial</param><smaller>a) alphanumeric (as shown
below) or

</smaller></fontfamily>=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0
<fontfamily><param>Arial</param><smaller>b) rather the name of the
object (id=3D"device")</smaller></fontfamily>

</excerpt>

My answer to this would be: it doesn't matter, as long as every id in
a given document is unique. ids which have semantic content
understandable for a human make it easier for humans to read and
understand an xtm-document. However, for a machine-based TM-engine the
form of the ids doesn't matter.


<excerpt><fontfamily><param>Arial</param><smaller>2. The xtm dtd
provides an id for each element.

=A0=A0=A0 What is the consequence (for applications, queries, etc.)

=A0=A0=A0 if I give an id to e.g. baseName or if I omit =
it?</smaller></fontfamily>

</excerpt>

As far as I know, the only advantage of any XML-element having an id
is that it provides you with a means to refer to that element. So, if
you ever want to refer to a basename, you would have to provide it
with an id. This situation could e.g. arise if you want to reifiy the
basename (or any other element within a TM). You could then have the
subjectIndicator of the reifying topic point to the basename's id. If
the basename did not have an id, there would be no way to do that.


Cheers,

Knud

=
--------------------------------------------------------------------------=
---

Knud M=F6ller -  Institut f=FCr Sprachliche Informationsverarbeitung,

Universit=E4t zu K=F6ln

(Department of Linguistic Data Processing,

University of Cologne, Germany)=

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