Re: Mapping files?

Martin,

> What I think we need is a standard API for taking elements that conform to
a
> particular ISO 13250 architectural form and mapping them to the SAM.
> That's what I am working on for HyTM,

This is great! As you probably know I had created several XSLT scripts for
various HyTM->XTM translations : [1].
But your work is probably on a more conceptual level?

> but what I feel the community also needs a
> general mechanism for saying that XML element ABC in DTD XYZ conforms to
> architectural form TM-nop e.g. a TM-AF attribute that can be used to
> associate a TM architectural form with any element in a DTD, the attribute
> being used to trigger the XSLT processing of the AF.

As far as I know, several people claimed to develop general
solutions for something like this.
I am not sure how universal their solutions are.
And I wonder what do they have to say.

I can not imagine that a universal "general mechanism" exists.
If somebody claims to have discovered it I would bet I can find an
exception.
Unless it is something like XSLT or XQuery, both of which are sufficiently
complex. (Note that XSLT is the proven tool that I am using for this)

The problem with getting any simpler mechanism (i.e. using plain XPath, etc.
for mapping) is in the fact that semantics of the original document can
be very complicated (if not crazy).
One can come up with a "general mechanism" that works for simple XML tries
without cross links and semantics embeded in elements sequence and
combination, etc.
But watch out: your "general mechanism"
may need extensions for anything above average.


[1] http://www.cogx.com/xslt4tm2xtm.html

--Nikita.

Nikita Ogievetsky, nogievet-8d825DyHnH4@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx;
Cogitech Inc.        http://www.cogx.com
Topic Maps Tutorials and Consulting.
phone:  1 (917) 406 - 8734