1.2 (2019-02-09)
Block Quotes
This is a draft specification. It is likely that changes will still be made before the final specification.
Use the quote element to mark a quoted block of text and include an attribution for the quote. Block quotations are useful for long passages, or for quotes you want to draw attention to. You can provide an attribution using the cite element, and have it automatically formatted by display tools.
Notes
The quote element contains an optional info element, an optional title element, an optional cite element, and any general block content.
The quote element can occur in any general block context, including inside pages, sections, and certain block elements.
The style attribute takes a space-separated list of style hints. Processing tools should adjust their behavior according to those style hints they understand.
-
The following style hints are recommended:
epigraph
an introductory or closing quote that is not part of the running prose, generally formatted flush right
The quote element can have attributes from external namespaces. See External Namespaces for more information on external-namespace attributes.
Examples
Include a simple block quote in your document:
<quote>
<cite>Henry David Thoreau</cite>
<p>Our life is frittered away by detail.... Simplify, simplify.</p>
</quote>Our life is frittered away by detail.... Simplify, simplify.
Add a title to the quote:
<quote>
<title>Simplify</title>
<cite>Henry David Thoreau</cite>
<p>Our life is frittered away by detail.... Simplify, simplify.</p>
</quote>Simplify
Our life is frittered away by detail.... Simplify, simplify.
Add a date to the attribution:
<quote>
<cite date="1854">Henry David Thoreau</cite>
<p>Our life is frittered away by detail.... Simplify, simplify.</p>
</quote>Our life is frittered away by detail.... Simplify, simplify.
Processing Expectations
Block quotes are displayed as block elements, with each of their child elements being interpreted as block elements. When present, the title and attribution should be displayed in a way that makes their respective roles clear. Block quotes are frequently adorned with a watermark of quotation marks. Processing tools should ensure any quotation marks used in the formatting of quotes, including watermark images, are appropriate for the document's language.
The optional info element can provide metadata for the quote, such as attributions, licensing information, and additional titles for extensions. It is not displayed directly.
Comparison to Other Formats
The quote element is similar to the blockquote element in DocBook.
The quote element is similar to the lq element in DITA. The DITA lq element allows inline content. In Mallard, block quotes must contain paragraphs or other block content.
Schema
The formal definition of the Mallard language is maintained in RELAX NG Compact Syntax in code blocks within this specification. This is the formal definition for the block quote element. The namespace declarations for this definition are on the page Pages.
mal_block_quote = element quote {
mal_block_quote_attr,
mal_info ?,
mal_block_title ?,
mal_block_cite ?,
mal_block_quote_content +
}
mal_block_quote_attr = (
attribute style { xsd:NMTOKENS } ?,
mal_block_attr,
mal_attr_external *
)
mal_block_quote_content = mal_block