Subject: [xml2rfc-dev] xml2rfc Trac #679 - missing <back> section

From: "Brotman, Alex" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2021 18:50:58 +0000

(I wanted to send here in case others come across a similar issue)

https://trac.ietf.org/trac/xml2rfc/ticket/679

I've been working to convert markdown to XML (with mmark), and then to TXT (using xml2rfc) for uploading to IETF. One of our documents was missing the "{backmatter}" in the markdown, but mmark would happily create an XML document.  Even xmllint was happy with it.  However, xml2rfc would throw errors such as:

fetch_and_validation_of_vmc.xml(0): Error: IDREF attribute target references an unknown ID "RFC2397", at None
fetch_and_validation_of_vmc.xml(0): Error: IDREF attribute target references an unknown ID "RFC2397", at None
fetch_and_validation_of_vmc.xml(0): Error: IDREF attribute target references an unknown ID "RFC7468", at None
fetch_and_validation_of_vmc.xml(0): Error: IDREF attribute target references an unknown ID "RFC6962", at None
fetch_and_validation_of_vmc.xml(0): Error: IDREF attribute target references an unknown ID "RFC6962", at None
fetch_and_validation_of_vmc.xml(0): Error: IDREF attribute target references an unknown ID "RFC3709", at None
fetch_and_validation_of_vmc.xml(0): Error: IDREF attribute target references an unknown ID "RFC5246", at None
fetch_and_validation_of_vmc.xml(0): Error: IDREF attribute target references an unknown ID "RFC5280", at None
fetch_and_validation_of_vmc.xml(0): Error: IDREF attribute target references an unknown ID "RFC5280", at None

After talking with someone else, we realized the <back> element was missing from the generated XML document.  It seems as though xml2rfc had nowhere to put references, and was unhappy about it.  Upon adding the "{backmatter}" to the markdown and rerunning mmark, xml2rfc was happy to generate a txt document.

Would it be possible/ideal to have xml2rfc create those sections if needed, without it being explicitly declared?

If the developers would prefer, I can file a bug against mmark instead.  Thank you.

--
Alex Brotman
Sr. Engineer, Anti-Abuse & Messaging Policy
Comcast

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From: Julian Reschke <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2021 21:03:13 +0200

Am 29.09.2021 um 20:50 schrieb Brotman, Alex:
> ...

Hmmm.

<references> goes into <back> (see
<https://greenbytes.de/tech/webdav/rfc7991.html#element.references>), so
where *are* your references when there's no <back> section???

Best regards, Julian

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From: "Martin Thomson" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 2021 08:45:13 +1000

Hi Alex,

On Thu, Sep 30, 2021, at 04:50, Brotman, Alex wrote:
> I've been working to convert markdown to XML (with mmark), and then to 
> TXT (using xml2rfc) for uploading to IETF. 

Please don't submit text.  If you submit the XML, there are a great many things that are improved.  For example, PDF and HTML versions of your draft can be generated.

I know some people prefer to submit the text because they want to control the rendering.  You can submit text in addition to XML if you care about that.