Preface to the DocBook V5.2 Edition
This is version 5.2.19 of DocBook 5: The Definitive Guide. It describes the DocBook V5.2 schema, currently version 5.2.
You can get the latest version of the DocBook reference books and the DocBook sources for them from https://github.com/docbook/defguide/.
The current O'Reilly edition covers DocBook V5.0, the OASIS Standard.
Summary of Changes in DocBook V5.2
Many new synopsis elements for programming languages.
New
dangeradmonition element.New
formalgroupelement to support subfigures, etc.New transclusion fixup attributes.
New
classattribute on sectioning elements support legal sections.New
metaelement added toinfo.Added XInclude-enabled schema versions of Assembly and BITS schemas.
Changes from DocBook 5.2 CR1 to DocBook 5.2 CR2
Updated content models so that modifier can appear
after
classname in ooclass,
interfacename in oointerface,
exceptionname in ooexception,
varname in fieldsynopsis,
methodname in constructorsynopsis,
methodname in destructorsynopsis,
and
enumname in enumsynopsis.
(It was already allowed
parameter in methodparam,
templatename in template,
package in packagesynopsis,
macroname in macrosynopsis,
macrodef in macroprototype,
unionname in unionsynopsis,
and typedefname in typedefsynopsis.
Changes from DocBook 5.1 to DocBook 5.2 CR1
The following lists describe all the changes in 5.2CR1.
Added new element
buildtarget.Added new element
danger.Added new element
enumidentifier.Added new element
enumitem.Added new element
enumitemdescription.Added new element
enunname.Added new element
enumsynopsis.Added new element
enumvalue.Added new element
formalgroupto contain multiplefigure,table,example, orequationelements. (But not mixtures of them).Added new element
macrodef.Added new element
macroname.Added new element
macroprototype.Added new element
macrosynopsis.Added new element
meta.Added new element
packagesynopsis.Added new element
specializedtemplate.Added new element
synopsisinfowith a verbatim content model.Added new element
template.Added new element
templatename.Added new element
typedefname.Added new element
typedefsynopsis.Added new element
union.Added new element
unionname.Added new element
unionsynopsis.
Added
db.trans.idfixup.attribute = "none|suffix|auto".Added
db.trans.suffix.attributeas “text” with a Schematron rule to force idfixup attribute if suffix used.Added
db.trans.linkscope.attribute = "user|local|near|global".Added
trans:idfixup,trans:suffix, andtrans:linkscopeto common attributes.Added
pubworkattribute with the possible values:article,bbs,book,cdrom,chapter,dvd,emailmessage,gopher,journal,manuscript,newsposting,other,part,refentry,section,series,set,webpage, andwikitobiblioentryandbibliomixed.Added
otherpubworkattribute for whenpubworkhas the valeu “other” specified, but no Schematron to enforce it.Added optional
typeattribute (text) to procedure element.Added optional
typeattribute toexample,informalexample,figure, andinformalfigureelements.Added
fgstyleattribute, used informalgrouponly.Added enumerated
classattribute to the section elements (sectionandsect1throughsect5) with the valueslegalorother.Added
otherclassattribute to section elements to support other values.Added
otherto the existingarticleclassattribute enumeration.Added
otherclassattribute toarticle.Added a
typeattribute totableandinformaltableelements (CALS and HTML table syntax).Added a
typeattribute toequationandinformalequation.Added
classattribute with enumerated valuesunionandintersectionto thetypeelement.Added Schematron rule to exclude
dangerelement as descendant of admonitions.Added
packagerefattribute tocmdsynopsis,funcsynopsis,classsynopsis,fieldsynopsis,constructorsynopsis,destructorsynopsis,methodsynopsis,macrosynopsis,unionsynopsis,enumsynopsis,typedefsynopsis, andpackagesynopsis.
Added
db.programmingsynopsiselements todb.synopsis.blocks.Changed
db._anyto remove HTML namespace reference.Added
db.revnumbertodb.publishing.inlines.Added
db.wrapper.blockstodb.nopara.blocks.Added
metaelement toinfoset. Can be empty or have block and inline content.Changed
abstractcontent fromdb.para.blocks+todb.all.blocks+to expand its content model.Added Schematron rule to
footnoteto excludedangerelement (similar to other admonitions).Added Schematron rule to
captionto excludedangerelement (similar to other admonitions).Added Schematron rule to exclude
dangerelement as descendant of admonitions.Added
multimediaparamchildren toimagedataelement (already allowed onaudiodataandvideodata).Allowed
refentryinsect1throughsect5(already allowed in section).Added elements
buildtarget,templatename,macroname,unionname,enumname,enumvalue,enumidentifier, andtypedefnameto the list of programming inlines.Added elements
enumsynopsis,typedefsynopsis,packagesynopsis,macrosynopsis,unionsynopsis,enumsynopsis, andtypedefsynopsisto the list indb.synopsis.blocks.Added elements
packagesynopsis,macrosynopsis,typedefsynopsis, andenumsynopsisto thedb.programmingsynopsisset.Added elements
templatenameandvoidto thefuncdefcontent model.Added elements
templatenameandmodifierto theparamdefcontent model.Added elements
info,templatename,template, andooexceptionto theclasssynopsiscontent model.Added elements
infoandsynopsisinfoto theconstructorsynopsiscontent model.Added elements
infoandsynopsisinfoto thedestructorsynopsiscontent model.Added elements
info,synopsisinfo, andtemplatenameto thefieldsynopsiscontent model.Added elements
info,synopsisinfo, andtemplatenameto themethodsynopsiscontent model.Added element
templatenameto themethodparamcontent model.Added programming inlines to the
typeelement.
Added
transnamespace declarations for transclusion.Added 10
s:schematron namespace declarations.Added
db.wrapper.blocksto “start” set.Defined
db.wrapper.blocksasdb.formalgroup.Deleted
db.programmingsynopsisnamed pattern (only used in start, now handled bydb.synopsis.blocks).Removed unnecessary
\x{a}whitespace from Schematron rules.Added a Schematron rule to
calloutelement soarearefsmust point toareaset,area, orco.Added a Schematron rule to EBNF
constraintelement so itslinkendmust point to aconstraintdef.Added a Schematron rule to EBNF
productionrecapelement so itslinkendmust point to aproduction.
Backwards incompatible changes planned for DocBook V6.0
The following backwards incompatible changes are planned for DocBook V6.0:
The linking elements will be removed from the content model of
biblioid.The common linking attributes will be removed from
indexterm.The
xml:idattribute will be made required onstartofrangeindexterms.A Schematron constraint will be added to assert that for every
startofrangeindextermthere is exactly oneendofrangeindextermthat points to it.The
languageattribute will be removed fromaddress; usexml:langinstead.The
arcandlocatorelements will be dropped; insteadlinkwill be allowed inextendedlink.The
indextermelements will be removed fromprimary,secondary, andtertiary. Nested index terms are not supported.