[ docbook-RFEs-2954469 ] allow <simpara> in <para>

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RFEs item #2954469, was opened at 2010-02-18 14:47
Message generated for change (Settings changed) made by lrrathp
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Category: DocBook
Group: None
>Status: Closed
>Resolution: Rejected
Priority: 5
Private: No
Submitted By: Jan Vanderschoot (jpmvanderschoot)
Assigned to: Norman Walsh (nwalsh)
Summary: allow <simpara> in <para>

Initial Comment:
Use case: Authors frequently add visual structure to texts by adding an extra newline between two paragraphs. The logical meaning conveyed is that of a structure of a higher level (i.e. a sequence of closely related paragraphs). These higher structures are then separated by the extra new line.
One way to achieve the visual effect is by using <para> and the role attribute to distinguish between a "regular" paragraph and a paragraph with extra space-before. But this doesn't capture the logical structure of the text (i.e the sequence of paragraphs as a unit). 
A structure that would capture the logic is:
<para><simpara>...</simpara><simpara>...</simpara><simpara>...</simpara></para>  
<para><simpara>...</simpara><simpara>...</simpara><simpara>...</simpara></para>  
etc.
But this is not allowed by the dtd. Considering the description of <para> in the definitive guide, it would be appropriate to allow <simpara> within <para>: <simpara> is not a "sectioning or higher-level structure", while "it is most logical ... to include block elements in the paragraphs...". 
The processing of <simpara>s within <para>s should not pose any special problem since it is a "leaf" block; other allowed block elements (like lists) are much more complicated!

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>Comment By: Larry Rowland (lrrathp)
Date: 2010-04-27 10:35

Message:
   Thank you for taking the time to submit this enhancement request.
   After due consideration, the TC has decided not to implement the
   change you requested.
   
   This request is similar to a previous request to allow multiple
   paras in a formalpara, which was also rejected.  A significant
   problem with these requests is that of robustly representing the
   internal structure of the document to the reader (who generally is
   not looking at the source).  Changes in inter-paragraph spacing fail
   if the paragraphs break across pages or become large enough that
   comparison of the spacings is difficult.  Indentation fails along
   slightly different lines but also fails.  This is part of why the
   DocBook TC has resisted calls for additional structural
   representations in DocBook that fall outside of the nested section
   model; titled sections provide obvious indications of the structure
   of a document.

   DocBook provides three mechanisms for grouping paragraphs together:
   nested sections, explicitly numbered sections, and simplesects
   (which allow no further levels of nested sections).  You might
   consider using a simplesect with a role attribute as the wrapper on
   your associated paragraphs, since it is a structural element that
   would allow representation of the structure of the document using a
   robust representation such as a title to supplement the reduced
   spacing you mention in the request.  You could also use the
   annotation mechanism to provide an indication of a related set of
   paragraphs and have your processing system provide the formatting
   you desire, but it is likely to have the same problem of providing
   a robust representation without a wrapper with which to associate
   the representation.  As the entry in the reference says with regard
   to the inclusion of block elements within a paragraph, "There is no
   easy answer to this problem."

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