About the future format for LFS (reworded)

[William Immendorf]

Matthew Burgess wrote:

>> DocBook V5.0 offers new functionality. DocBook V5.0 provides significant
>> improvements over DocBook V4.x. For example there is general markup for
>> annotations, a new and flexible system for linking, and unified markup for
>> information sections using the info element.

>Agreed, and this is why we normally upgrade to the latest version of DocBook when time permits.  And this is why I wouldn't have any problems in committing patches on someone's>behalf that upgrade the book to DocBook-XML 5.0.

Yup, that is a reason.

>> DocBook V5.0 is easier to customize. RELAX NG offers many powerful
>> constructs that make customization much easier than it would be using a DTD
>> (see the section called “Customizing DocBook V5.0”)."

>But the crucial point you're not making clear is *why* does LFS require that customization feature?  What is it you think LFS will gain by such customization?  And why can that not be>gained without the customization feature of RNG?

Why? Here are 2 reasons:

1. We can create new elements to replase repetive elements. An example of this is the para-screen-userinput combo we use for commands. Like, we can replase that with a code element with a description element in it.

2. We can also intergate elements from other XML languages like SVG, MathML, XHTML, or even *ML.

Also, here are 3 reasons we shouldn't use DTDs:

1. It has no support for newer features of XML, including namespaces.

2. It lacks expressiveness.

3. It uses a custom non-XML syntax, inherited from SGML, to describe the schema.

The only choices left are Relax NG and XSD, and I chose Relax NG because it is better than XSD.

For validation, we should also use Schematron for validation. The valdition language we will use is NVDL.
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