Action Item: Implications for key definition subelements for topicref-to-topicref key references

[Eliot Kimber <eliot.kimber@servicenow.com>]

Here is my proposed response to Denis Troaca’s question about cascading of <keywords> from a referenced topicref to a referencing topicref:

 

Denis Troaca asks:

 

<quote>

According to DITA Specification(https://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/dita/v1.3/os/part1-base/archSpec/base/example-keydef-with-keyref.html), if we have a keydef element with a keyref to another key, the first key should pull resources from the second if they are not already present in the initial keydef. Does this rule also apply to child elements of elements within that keydef?

 

Example:Â

The initial keydef contains a "topicmeta" element with no "keywords" elements or containsÂa "topicmeta" with a "keywords" but no "keyword" elementsÂinside and the referenced keydef has a "topicmeta" with "keywords" and "keyword" elements. Does the initial keydef pull the "keyword" from the referenced keydef or does it keep its empty "topicmeta" element?

</quote>

 

For this case, the DITA 2.0 spec as of 19 September 2023 says in section 6.4.11, “Processing key references on <topicref> elements”:

 

<quote>

Combining metadata

 

Content from a key-defining element cascades to the key-referencing element following the rules for

combining metadata between maps and other maps and between maps and topics.

 

The combined attributes and content cascade from one map to another or from a map to a topic, but

this is controlled by existing rules for cascading, which are not affected by the use of key references.

</quote>

 

Thus the existing metadata cascade rules apply, where the referencing topicref is the effective child of the referenced topicref.

 

Given that, the entry for <keywords> in the table in section 5.3.2, “Reconciling topic and map metadata elements” determines the behavior. This entry indicates that <keywords> does *not* cascade from topicref to topicref.

 

Thus, in this case, the keywords in the referenced topicref do not cascade to the referencing topicref.

 

Given Denis’ original example, the effective value for <keywords> in the initial keydef is an empty <keywords> element.

 

Cheers,

 

Eliot

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________________

Eliot Kimber

Sr Staff Content Engineer

O: 512 554 9368

M: 512 554 9368

servicenow.com

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