Re: bib amd mods

[Hans Hagen <pragma@wxs.nl>]

Bruce D'Arcus wrote:
> I think Ulf's conclusions are right. MODS is expressive, which is why I was
> originally attracted to it, but it's also more complex than it needs to be for
> this sort of use case.
>   
since we're talking databases here, i think the focus should be on what 
kind of (intermediate) format suits typesetting best (could be different 
from the databse structure)
> The big question becomes, if not MODS, then what? As Ulf pointed out, my
> solution -- and the one I will be advocating for OpenDoucment (I am on the TC)
> -- is to use a particular RDF serialization. Indeed, I have a draft RELAX NG
> schema for it, and my formatting system (citeproc) now works with it quite well.
>   
but that's still the database part of it, isn't it ( i never really used 
rdf - only looked at it)
> Microsoft, incidentally, is implementing pretty good bib support (that looks
> suspiciously like what I've been advocating for OpenOffice!), which I've blogged
> about extensively. Their XML format is not bad, though it is totally flat, which
> means it won't be as flexible as MODS or RDF. More here:
>
> <http://netapps.muohio.edu/blogs/darcusb/darcusb/archives/2006/06/16/flat-vs-relational>
>
>   
>> - provide converters from marcs and bibtex to mods
>> - layer the bib module on top of that
>>     
>
> Curious question: would you be writing it in Lua (closer to the pdftex level),
> or go more high-level (as now)?
>   
i dunno, some manipulations now done in tex can better be done in lua, 
so i can imagine something

- interpret xml (tex)
- manipulate data (lua and tex)
- typeset results (tex)

a practical approach would be to start with a copy of m-bib (maybe a pet 
project of taco and me) and see where we end up
>   
>> If so, who'd like to join/volunteer for subtasks
>>     
>
> I can certainly help with advice and design, particularly if you want to use CSL
> to configure the output. I've made some changes to it (again) recently, but
> think I'm zeroing in on freezing it. The more feedback I get, the easier it'll
> be to do that.
>   
so csl is the formatting spec thing (the oo site is not that 
informative; i always like to *see* code -)

Hans


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