[topicmapmail] Opera topic map question

[Alexander Mikhailian]

Thanks for the reply!

> The <type/> element is only used within the <name/>, <occurrence/>,
> <association/>, and <role/> elements. 

This is indeed the <type/> element I referred to. 

May I slightly change your example so that my question becomes more
clear? I will add three new topics: "be" "abstract" and "concrete" and
use them in the association as type and roles.

--------------
<topic id="alexander">
</topic>
<topic id="be">
</topic>
<topic id="abstract">
</topic>
<topic id="concrete">
</topic>
<association>
   <type>
     <topicRef href="#be"/>
   </type>
   <role>
     <type>
       <topicRef href="#abstract"/>
     </type>
     <topicRef href="#person"/>
   </role>
   <role>
     <type>
       <topicRef href="#concrete">
     </type>
     <topicRef href="#alexander"/>
   </role>
</association>
--------------

Now, many questions may be asked:

1. Can this be done at all?
2. What can be said about the link from <association/> to #be? 
3. Is it a type-instance, supertype-subtype, or some other association
type? 
4. Is it an association in terms of topic maps at all if not, what is
it?

Now, suppose I modify the above fragment to add the topic "relation" and
to make a supertype-subtype association between #be and #relation.

<topic id="relation">
</topic>

<association>
   <type>
     <topicRef href="http://psi.topicmaps.org/iso13250/model/supertype-subtype"/>
   </type>
   <role>
     <type>
       <topicRef href="http://psi.topicmaps.org/iso13250/model/subtype"/>
     </type>
     <topicRef href="#be"/>
   </role>
   <role>
     <type>
       <topicRef href="http://psi.topicmaps.org/iso13250/model/supertype">
     </type>
     <topicRef href="#relation"/>
   </role>
</association>


5. What can be said about the transitivity of the link 
#relation 
  -> #be 
    -> the association of type #be?

-- 
Alexander Mikhailian