Re: [docbook-apps] Entities references vs. XRef as a way to manage changing glossary

[Bob Stayton <bobs at sco dot com>]

On Mon, Jul 28, 2003 at 11:07:58AM -0400, Taro Ikai wrote:
> I'm trying to find the best referencing mechanism to synchronize glossary 
> terms 
> between a software resource file and the product documentation.
> 
> I've so far tried to use entity references, but since XSLT resolves entity 
> 
> references in its output, and the references do not stay references in the 
> 
> output, it's beginning to seem like I should find another mechanism to 
> serve the same end.

I'm not clear on why entity references don't work here.
In general, you want the entity references to resolve
in the output.  So I presume you are doing an initial
transformation of the XML to XML, in which you want to leave
the entity references unresolved.  Is that correct?

If so, perhaps you could code the original entity references
as "&entityname;".  This would transform to "&entityname;"
after the first stage, and be available downstream.
But perhaps I'm not understanding what you want to do.

> 
> One candidate I can think of is XRef.
> 
> I can have an extra document whose sole purpose is to supply text for 
> given id references. So given a .rc file like:
> 
>   STRINGTABLE DISCARDABLE
>   BEGIN
>     IDS_TEXT_BEEF  "Beef"
>     IDS_TEXT_CHICKEN  "Chicken"
>   END
> 
> I will write a script to produce a file ref.xml, which includes:
> 
>   <para id="beef"><title>Beef</title></para>
>   <para id="chicken"><title>Chicken</title></para>
> 
> In my document content, I can use references of the form:
> 
>   <para>Would you like <xref linkend="chicken"/> or <xref 
> linkend="beef"/>?</para>
> 
> This way, whenever the resource definition in the .rc file changes, the 
> document 
> will pick it up. But the notation is certainly longer than entity 
> references, and I think 
> this is an unintended use of XRef.
> 
> Is there a better way to do this?

Xref will only connect to id values in the current document.
You would have to use olink to link to an external document.
But in either case, you will end up with an active
link associated with the text.  I'm not sure that is
what you want.

-- 

Bob Stayton                                 400 Encinal Street
Publications Architect                      Santa Cruz, CA  95060
Technical Publications                      voice: (831) 427-7796
The SCO Group                               fax:   (831) 429-1887
                                            email: bobs@sco.com

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