Siadal, Jeremy C wrote: > I am converting several instructional documents to Docbook 4.4 format. > These documents make extensive use of variables for constantly changing > items like codenames and version numbers. > > > > Since XXE doesn?t support entities, using external references is > recommended. I?ve reviewed XMLMind?s page on how to include external > references. > > > > Here?s the problem: how do I include an external reference so that only > the text is included and format is discarded? The format of the text > must assume the format of the paragraph or character elements where it > appears (as an ENTITY would do). >
You cannot do that, either with XXE or with any other XML tool: if you reference an external entity containing an element, you include the whole element in your document. I'm sorry but it seems that there is a misunderstanding here: XXE supports reference to external entities, *normally*, but to a very small extent. To make it simple, let's say XXE does not support reference to entities, whether internal or external, *at* *all*. In order to use variables in your DocBook documents, please follow what we suggest in this part of the tutorial: http://www.xmlmind.com/xmleditor/_distrib/doc/user/tutorial_modular_document.html#extensive_copy_as_reference The basic idea is to create a DocBook document (for internal use only) listing all your variables, giving each of them an ID, and documenting them. A ``variable'' should be contained in a <phrase> element. Let's call this document variables.xml. If you want to reference a variable having ID "foo" in a real document (e.g. usersguide.xml), then: [1] Open variables.xml in XXE, [2] Open usersguide.xml in XXE, [3] Switch to variables.xml, [4] Click anywhere inside variable "foo" and use Ctrl+Shift-C (Copy as Reference). [5] Switch to usersguide.xml. [6] Use Ctrl-V (paste into), Ctrl-U (paste before) or Ctrl-W (paste after) to paste this *reference* as you would do it normally. Note that this will paste, not just the text of variable "foo", but the whole <phrase> element. Also note that, as of XXE v3.3, Ctrl-C (normal copy), Ctrl-X (cut) preserve the references already contained in your document. Internally, this works by using XInclude. The *only* drawback of using this approach rather than references to entities, internal or external, is a possible interchange problem: XInclude being a recent standard, you still find XML applications which are not yet XInclude-enabled. Other than this temporary interchange problem, you'll only find benefits in using what we suggest.
