Milestones

Summary

Description

Milestone marker.

Syntax help

Diagrams

  • USFM

  • USX

ms rail
ms usx

Background

Markup for identifying milestones is needed when documents have multiple structures that interact in a non-hierarchical manner. This is also referred to as 'overlapping' or 'concurrent' markup. A key example of the overlapping structures in scripture text are

  1. Paragraphs used to structure the discourse/narrative of the text and

  2. The division of the text into books, chapters and verses.

In USFM or USX texts, markup identifying paragraph level containers forms the main structure of the document, while chapter and verse markers are effectively milestones.

Another overlapping structure is encountered when identifying the start and end of the words of individual speakers within the text, which will regularly cross paragraph boundaries.

Basic Syntax

In USFM, milestones follow a syntax similar to character level markup, but using a unique self-closing syntax. This specific syntax identifies the marker as a milestone. Milestones can mark a single position within the text, or the positions of the start or end of a span of text.

Self-closing markup is indicated by immediately terminating the marker, and any attributes, with a second backslash plus asterisk \*.

In USX, a milestone is expressed using the <ms> element.

Indicating Start and End Milestones

A milestone marker may end with either -s or -e

  • -s indicates that the milestone is for marking the start of a span of text.

  • -e indicates that the marker is an end milestone.

  • USFM

  • USX

Example 1. USFM: Milestones for the start and end of a quotation/speaker
\qt1-s\*
...
\qt1-e\*
Example 2. USX: Milestone for the start of a quotation/speaker
<ms style="qt1-s"/>
...
<ms style="qt1-e"/>

Standalone Milestones

This syntax can also be used for standalone milestones, not using start -s and end -e suffixes.

  • USFM

  • USX

Example 3. USFM: Standalone milestone (\z namespace in this example)
\zms\*
Example 4. USX: Standalone milestone
<ms style="zms"/>

USFM or USX do not currently define any standalone milestones. This may change with future updates, as specific needs are identified.

Attributes

Attributes may be available for or required by a specific milestone type. For example: the @who attribute for the qt milestone.

Levels

As with other USFM/USX numbered marker types, a numeric variable may be added to a milestone marker to indicate a relative weighting or level. In the example above of the quotation/speaker milestone, a numbered version of the marker may be used to indicate the level of nesting of the quotation being marked (i.e. a quote within a quote).

The unnumbered version may be used when only one level of marker exists within the project text. Numbers should always be included when more than one level of the marker exists within the project text.