Can olinks replace xrefs and links?

Hi Denis,
Yes, olinks can replace xref and link.

The main difference is that xrefs and links are validated
when the file is
validated, and olinks are not.  If your documents are in a
single XML file,
that is a nice advantage.  If your documents are divided up
into several
files like chapter files, it is a big disadvantage, because
the target of
an xref or link must be in the same file to be valid.

Olinks are resolved by the XSL stylesheet, so you don't see
any linking
errors until you process the document.  Olinks add a measure
of flexibility
to linking, but also add a measure of complexity to the
processing
environment in order to get them set up and working
correctly.

Bob Stayton
Sagehill Enterprises
DocBook Consulting
bobssagehill.net


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Denis Bradford" <denis.bradfordverizon.net>
Cc: <docbook-appslists.oasis-open.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2006 5:29 PM
Subject: [docbook-apps] Can olinks replace xrefs and links?


> Is there any reason not use olinks instead of xrefs and
links?
> Traditionally we've used:
>
> - xrefs for autogenerated cross-reference text, point
to targets
>    within the current document.
>
> - links for authored cross-reference text, point to
targets
>    within the current document.
>
> - olinks for either autogenerated or authored link
text, point to
>    targets in other managed documents.
>
> But as far as I can tell, olinks seem to work just fine
internally too,
> with or without generated target text. In other words,
it can do
> everything that xrefs and links can do.
>
> So my thought is, why should writers be forced to
juggle four kinds of
> cross-reference elements when 2 (olinks and ulinks)
will do? Another
> motivation in my case: converting an existing docset to
docbook is
> simpler with only two cross-reference elements.
>
>
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