CNXML: The Next Generation?

Possible CNXML Desiderata

• In CNXML <= 0.6, our list has an optional type attribute, for which we suggest four different values:
  • bulleted
  • enumerated
  • inline
  • named-item

  It seems to me that we have two orthogonal categories here: (a) list decoration (bullets, numbers/letters, and names) and (b) list-blockness/inlineness. After all, one might want an inline list with the items denoted by letters within parens (as in the foregoing list). In fact, there might be three categories: (a) decoration, (b) inline/block-ness, and (c) named-ness vs anonymity. Perhaps the mere presence of the optional name in a list item ought to be sufficient for considering a list (whatever the decoration and blockiness) a named list.

  Brent has already suggested handling list decoration with the class attribute. That sounds good to me. type could then be one of inline or block. The presence of a name within an item would trigger the named-list handling.

• If cite is going to impose a display style (e.g. italicizing font), then perhaps it should take an attribute for the bibliographic level of the thing cited (e.g. article, monograph). Italicizing a citation is appropriate for monographs, but seldom if ever for parts of a larger whole (articles in a journal, chapters in a book, entries in an encyclopedia)--these should instead be surrounded with double-quotes. Or better: limit the values of the biblevel or whatever attribute to part and whole.
• What are the semantics of cite? At first glance, I would think it would denote a citation of a citable bibliographic entity: a monograph, or a journal article, or a newspaper article, etc. cite does not seem to be the same thing as a mere reference to a journal. E.g. one who is discussing academic publishing in art history might refer to Art Bulletin without citing a particular article. Prima facie that doesn't seem to me like a citation. Is cite meant to cover such cases?
• term ought to have an additional attribute for form of index entry, so that an author can choose to enter a term in an index in a form other than which it occurs at that point in the text. Say you have a noun that is used in both singular and plural, and that should be indexed everywhere it occurs. Those references should appear under one entry in the index, but if you tag the whole word including plural endings, two entries will be made, one for singular and one for plural. Or maybe you want a reference to an abbreviation entered under the full term in the index: <term entry="Fast Fourier Transform">FFT</term>
• term also ought to have an attribute allowing the author to suppress indexing of this term.
• document the 'note[@class=footnote]?', and consider variations for print (i.e. endnotes at end of chapters not modules)
• Ballon/Westermann Mellon report uses numbered lists with headings for parts of the list. Implementing this would require one of two things:
  • that we give a param to list that permits the author to indicate where the numbering should start, or
  • that we permit authors to intersperse name or some other heading between item elements