Design Principle of XML DTD for standards documents

2000/02/08
Y. Komachi

The XML Project in JSA is developing the XML DTD, making some changes to the ISO/IEC 9573-11 (SGML DTD for standards documents). The DTD of ISO/IEC 9573-11 is basically for printing documents and including some style information.

The changes are: (All the changes 1.1 and 1.2 have been included in the XML DTD ver.2k01. Other changes are to be included (some of them have been included) after discussion with ISO/ITSIG experts.)

1. XML specific change from the DTD of ISO/IEC 9573-11

1.1 Elements declaration

1.1.1 Removing the tag omit specification.

1.1.2 Exception elements in 9573-11 DTD are specified with non-exception form in each content model.

1.2 Attributes declaration

1.2.1 Attribute types NAME, NUMBER and NUTOKEN

They are changed to NMTOKEN.

1.2.2 #CONREF

They are changed to #IMPLIED.

1.2.3 SHORTREF and USEMAP

DTD description are changed to the description without SHORTREF and USEMAP.

NOTE: In general XML DTD cannot deal with & connector. Fortunately there was no & connector employed in 9573-11 DTD.

1.3 Others

1.3.1 DTD for Mathematics

MATHML of W3C should be used.

1.3.2 DTD for Chemistry

CML of W3C should be used.

2. Change for web documents

NOTE: Web documents are reviewed basically on a display. However, the DTD should be developed considering a compatibility with printing documents.

2.1 Addition of hyper links

2.1.1 "Bibliographic information (3.1)"

"Replacement information (3.1.10)" and "Related standards (3.1.14)" should be added with hyper links to external locations defined by public identifiers.

2.1.2 "Normative references (3.5.3)"

"Normative references (3.5.3)" should be added with hyper links to external locations defined by public identifiers.

2.1.3 "Definitions (3.5.4)"

"Definitions (3.5.4)" should be added with hyper links from the location where the terms occur in the standards.

2.2 "Footnote (4.4)"

Footnote is a printed page specific concept. For compatibility with web document, it should be described, for example, as linked note or external note. The actual presentation style should be defined in separated style specifications.

3. Change for the consideration of eliminating style specification

NOTE: The issues of 3. are independent of XML.

3.1 "Body (3.5)"

"COLS" attribute in "Body (3.5)" should be removed.

3.2 "Annexes (3.6)"

"COLSH", "COLS" "PAGE" and "STITLE" attributes in "Annexes (3.6)" should be removed.

3.3 "Highlighted phrases (4.8)"

The specifications of "italic", "bold" and "underlined" should be removed.

3.4 "List (4.10)"

"TSIZE" attribute in "Variable list (4.10.9)" should be removed.

3.5 "Figure (4.11.1)"

"FRAME", "PLACE", "WIDTH" and "ALIGN" attributes should be removed.

3.6 "Tables (4.11.7)"

All the attributes should be removed.

4. Bug or uncertainty of the DTD of ISO/IEC 9573-11

NOTE: The issues of 4. are independent of XML.

4.1 "Notes (4.3)"

List of notes <NL> should be removed, since they can be described by the combination of <NOTE>, <OL> or <UL>.

4.2 "Example (4.7)"

"TYPE" attribute of <CPTR> is necessary?

4.3 "List (4.10)"

"Simple list (4.10.3)" is necessary?