Re: "use"'ing style specs

["G. Ken Holman" <gkholman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 99/02/04 12:34 +0900, Frank A. Christoph wrote:
>Take a look at 7.1. I'm referring to the "use" attribute (or really,
attribute type, I guess, since it's an architecture), not the "use:"
characteristic.  

Sorry for my confusion ... I instantly thought you were thinking of the
characteristic since at one point I was confused about that.

>For example,
>
><style-specification id="foo" use="bar">
><style-specification-body>
>(define y x)
></style-specification-body>
></style-specification>
><style-specification id="foo">
><style-specification-body>
>(define x 1)
></style-specification-body>
></style-specification>
>
>I can't find any place where the semantics for "use" are defined.

As I understand the relevant pieces from section 7.1, I think it is
unambiguous.  Here are the quotes (in order) that I think state everything
needed (the numbering is my own, commentary is in brace brackets):

(1) - The element type form dsssl-specification is a container for one or
more process specification element type forms.

(2) - Instances of these element type forms are called process
specification elements.

{so now we know that there formally exist "pieces" of a complete
specification}

(3) - Each process specification element may be self-contained, or it may
make use of other process specification elements of the same type. 

{I think this is a significant use of the word "use" related to the
attribute, because of the HyTime reftype declaration for the attribute
matches the prose.}

(4) - The process specification described by a sequence of process
specification elements is considered as a sequence of parts, where each
part consists of declarations expressed using element type forms, and a
specification in the process-specific notation, called the body of the part.

{okay, now we know where our actual DSSSL code lies ... in the various body
portions of the parts}

(5) - The sequence of parts from a single process specification element
consists of a part constructed from the content of the process
specification element followed by the sequence of parts from the sequence
of process specification elements that it uses.

{this now establishes the priority that DSSSL code in the element precedes
the DSSSL code referenced in the use= attribute}

(6) - within the body of a single part, there shall not be conflicting
specifications, but when two specifications in the bodies of different
parts conflict, the specification in the earlier part shall take precedence.

{thus, the DSSSL code referenced in the use= attribute takes a back seat to
the DSSSL code in the element itself *where there are conflicting
specifications*, otherwise, where there isn't a conflict, it is considered
part of the DSSSL program}


I apologize again for having gone off on a tangent earlier.  I think the
standard is clear about the semantics (though I admit I'm attaching
significance to the verb "use" and the attribute "use=" in step (3) above
where that isn't explicitly stated in the prose).

I hope this now helps.

......... Ken

--
G. Ken Holman         mailto:gkholman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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