XLink

Allows elements to be inserted into XML documents in order to create and describe links between resources.

  • Set of attributes that can turn any element into a (multidirectional) link.

  • XPointers can be used as the fragment identifier for the URI, allowing it to link to arbitrary positions in a document.

  • Attribute: xlink:type

    The type attribute defines the 'xlink type' of an element and can have 6 different values:

    • simple

      Create a simple one directional link.

      <image xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"
             xlink:type="simple" 
             xlink:href="image.gif"/>
      						
    • extended

      Define a multi-directional, many-to-many link.

      <image xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"
             xlink:type="extended">
        <src xlink:type="locator" xlink:href="logo.gif"/>
        <src xlink:type="locator" xlink:href="mirror/logo.gif"/>
      </image>
      						
    • locator

      Define a location for an extended link.

    • arc

      Define traversal rules.

    • title

      Define a human-readable title.

    • resource

      Define a local resource.

  • Attribute: xlink:title

    The title attribute is used to describe the meaning of a link or resource.

  • Attribute: xlink:role / xlink:arcrole

    A URI reference that identifies some resource that describes the intended property.

  • Attribute: xlink:show

    The show attribute is used to communicate the desired presentation of the ending resource on traversal from the starting resource.

    Following options: new (show in new window), replace (show in same window), embed (show in current content), other and none.

  • Attribute: xlink:actuate

    The actuate attribute is used to communicate the desired timing of traversal from the starting resource to the ending resource.

    Following options: onLoad (show when loading), onRequest (show after user request), other and none.

  • Attribute: xlink:label

    Used on the resource- and locator-type elements to allow arc-type elements to point to/from.

  • Attribute: xlink:from / xlink:to

    Used on the arc-type elements to point to resource- and locator-type elements that have a label attribute defined.

  • The definition does not provide a default for the type attribute (heavily dependent on DTDs).

  • Limited tool support.

  • Namespace: http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink

  • XML Linking Language (XLink) Version 1.0

  • XML Linking Language (XLink) Version 1.1

    Note

    Working Draft left out DTD dependencies.