Conflict resolution in catalog files

[John Cowan]

Lars Marius Garshol wrote:

> I've now researched how conflict resolution works in SGML Open
> Catalogs and want to propose a new wording for the XCatalog proposal
> section 7 based on this.

I have no problem with this in principle.

> The CATALOG extension to the catalog file
> format means that TR 9401:1997 can't be followed directly, since it
> does not have this entry.

How's that?  This is no extension: it is documented right in
9401:1997.  (Unfortunately, there are neither clause numbers nor
HTML anchors in that document, but search for the string "The CATALOG
entry can be used".)

> 7. Conflict resolution
> 
> When more than one catalog entry applies to an entity, the conflict
> can be resolved by using the entry that is comes out first after the
> entries have been sorted in the order specified below.
> 
> Entries are sorted by (in this order):
> 
>   1) By catalog file, in the order the catalog files were processed
>   2) By the entry type (in this order):
>      a) SYSTEM   (Remap)
>      b) PUBLIC   (Map)
>      c) DELEGATE (Delegate)
>   3) The order in which the entries appeared in the catalog file

AFAIK the only difference (modulo System) is that Maps are always
processed before Delegates within a single catalog even if the
Maps physically follow.  This is probably a good rule.

> (NB: The SYSTEM/Remap entry is not present in the original proposal,
> but I think it should be included. The functionality it provides was
> part of what the PubIdResolver interface of SAX was supposed to
> enable.)

I still have problems with this, as it violates referential
transparency.  It means that the processor of a document can
change the content of the document based on a catalog entry,
and independent of the author's declared intent.
 
> The reason I propose this is that the new wording is more concise,
> and, I think, easier to understand.

I take your point, but it is incomplete, specifically in the
matter of what to do when a Delegate entry is accepted: discard
the rest of the current catalog *and* the entire queue, and start
over.

-- 
John Cowan	http://www.ccil.org/~cowan		cowan at ccil.org
	You tollerday donsk?  N.  You tolkatiff scowegian?  Nn.
	You spigotty anglease?  Nnn.  You phonio saxo?  Nnnn.
		Clear all so!  'Tis a Jute.... (Finnegans Wake 16.5)

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