Textual variations

This page discusses how textual variants are handled in JLPTEI. The encoding of the variation is dependent on its size, extent, and its nature. This page handles the encoding of the fact of variation. Conditionals are used to indicate which variations should be included.

=Small variations=

Small variations are smaller than one segment in length. Where a word has the same spelling, but differs in pointing or punctuation, this form of variant is appropriate.

Small variations are encoded using the tei:choice element and its children, j:option, within a segment in the text repository.

TODO: Can j:option be used w/o j:choice when there is only one possibility that's include/exclude.

Example
The following shows an example of a minor variant text in the pointing of the kaddish:

When the variant text requires an instruction for the user, it should never be handled as a "small variant." Such a variant must always be at least one whole segment long, because it will likely need to be an independently addressable unit.

=Texts with large variations in content=

A "large" variation is at least one segment in length. When texts have large variations, the encoder must make a choice:
 * the texts may be considered to be the same text with variation. In this case, each variation is marked up with tei:choice/j:option in a separate view into a selection, where the view @type="choice".
 * The text is considered to be a separate selection from the same text repository. In this case, the entire variation is marked up using the methods of Concurrent hierarchies, each under its own j:concurrent tag.  In this case, a tei:choice/j:option set must be used at the entry point of the file. (TODO: -- how do you do this?)

=Texts with variations in the XML representation of content=

Variations only in XML representation of the same hierarchy type (eg, a paragraph that may be divided into sentences differently) can be handled by the methods described in Concurrent hierarchies.

=Functionally varying texts=

"Functionally" varying texts are texts that are substantially similar, but have different forms depending on their function at any particular place in the service. An example would be the kaddish, which has 5 functionally varying forms, which share the vast majority of their text. Each functional variant may be considered its own XML hierarchy. Shared parts may then be included in each hierarchy by reference.

Functional variants, therefore, use the methods in Concurrent hierarchies, where each functional variant is a unique selection from the text repository.