Subject: [Tools-discuss] Reference formats in idnits (and xml2rfc)

From: Elwyn Davies <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 08 Dec 2006 09:32:35 +0000

I have just been reviewing a document which uses the form [ REF1, REF2] 
where there is a need in the document to refer to multiple references 
from the same point.  This is a common convention AFAIK. The 
experimental reference checking in idnits doesn't recognize it and 
accordingly flags all the refs as unused..

I am not sure what the RFC Editor's position is on such multiple 
references - but it doesn't tend to happen when using xml2rfc as it is 
difficult (? impossible) to produce this format of output.  I realize it 
may well be difficult to grok this kind of reference in idnits but if 
possible it would be useful to accept it or (if it is deprecated) warn 
about its usage.

Regards,
Elwyn

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From: Henrik Levkowetz <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 09 Dec 2006 02:11:34 +0100

Hi Elwyn, 

> accordingly flags all the refs as unused..

Right, it's a complication I've ignored till now.

> possible it would be useful to accept it or (if it is deprecated) warn 

Oh, I don't think it's deprecated, and don't see any reason for that to
be the case.  It's a nicer form than what xml2rfc is able to produce
today, and I'd hope that some day xml2rfc will be able to produce that
form.

I've taken some time this evening to update idnits to accept also this
form, with the result that over my test suite of about 100+ documents,
the count of flagged unused references decreased from 379 to 309 --
which is probably a very large reduction of false positives for the
unused reference indication.  I say probably, as I haven't inspected
the old and new warning lists against the actual documents, but it
looks promising.

This will be available in version 1.122, which should be out shortly.

Regards,

	Henrik

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From: Julian Reschke <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 10 Dec 2006 16:35:34 +0100

Henrik Levkowetz schrieb:
> ...
> ...

rfc2629xslt (<http://greenbytes.de/tech/webdav/rfc2629xslt.zip>) now 
allows this through an extension, for instance:

	[<xref target="ref1" x:fmt='anchor'/>, <xref target="ref2" 
x:fmt='anchor'/>, <xref target="ref3" x:fmt='anchor'/>]

Example: see 
<http://greenbytes.de/tech/webdav/rfc2629xslt/testcase.html#rfc.section.5.8>.

(documents using rfc2629xslt extensions can be down-converted to plain 
xmlrfc syntax with an included conversion transformation XSLT).

Best regards, Julian