YALTM ("YALTM Ain't LTM")

I've put together a YAML (http://www.yaml.org) expansion of LTM, for
use as a self-documenting way to encode Topic Maps.  I'm very new at
both LTM and Topic Maps, however, so I may well have missed a trick.

So, please take a look at the following example and let me know what
issues I haven't handled properly.  It isn't really necessary to be
a YAML expert to read the format; just understand that

  Associations:
    -  type:            format_for
       src_name:        yaltm

yields a compound data structure, such that (in Perl-speak):

  $r->{Associations}[0]{src_name}  yields 'yaltm'

That is:

  The reference $r points to a hash.
  The "Associations" element of this hash  is an array.
  The "0"            element of this array is a hash.
  The "src_name"     element of this hash  is a string.
  The value of the string is "yaltm".

Once I have some confidence in YALTM, I plan to write some filters
(e.g., to/from DOT, LTM, OmniGraffle).

-r


#####

# example.yaltm - example YALTM file
#
# YALTM ("YALTM Ain't LTM") is a YAML (http://www.yaml.org) expansion of LTM
# (Linear Topic Map Notation; http://www.ontopia.net/download/ltm.html).  It
# strives to be clear and self-documenting.  It is easy to generate, edit, and
# (thanks to YAML) parse and load as a data structure.  Although more verbose
# than LTM, it is simpler and (arguably) clearer than its XML equivalents.
#
# Written by Rich Morin, rdm-go8te9J4rpw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, 2005.

  Associations:

#   format_for(yaltm      : format,
#              topic_maps : standard)

    -  type:            format_for
       src_name:        yaltm
       src_type:        format
       dst_name:        topic_maps
       dst_type:        standard


  Occurrences:

#   {yaltm,
#    specification,
#    "http://www.cfcl.com/topic_map/yaltm_spec.html"}
#   }

    -  id:              yaltm
       role_type:       specification
       locator:         "http://www.cfcl.com/topic_map/yaltm_spec.html";


  Topics:                                               # All topics go here.

#   [yaltm : format standard                            # ID and types
#
#          = "YALTM";                                   # base    name
#            "LTM, YALTM Ain't"                         # sort    name
#            "YALTM Ain't LTM"                          # display name
#
#         /  topic_maps                                 # topic scope
#            ("YALTM" / acronym)                        # variant names
#            ("YILTM" / erroneous)
#
#          @"http://www.cfcl.com/topic_map/yaltm";       # subject indicator(s)
#          %"http://www.cfcl.com/topic_map/yaltm.html";  # subject reference(s)
#   ]


    -  id:              "yaltm"                         # topic ID

       types:                                           # topic type(s)
         -  format
         -  standard

       base_name:       "YALTM"                         # base    name
       disp_name:       "YALTM Ain't LTM"               # display name
       sort_name:       "LTM, YALTM Ain't"              # sort    name

       subj_inds:                                       # subject indicator(s)
         -  "http://www.cfcl.com/topic_map/yaltm";
       subj_refs:                                       # subject reference(s)
         -  "http://www.cfcl.com/topic_map/yaltm.html";

       scope:           topic_maps                      # topic scope

       variants:                                        # variant name(s)
         acronym:       "YALTM"
         erroneous:     "YILTM"

#####

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email: rdm-go8te9J4rpw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; phone: +1 650-873-7841
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