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<link> Link

A hypertext link. Either @linkend is used for an internal link, or @xlink:href is used for an external link. Expect an error if both are used.

Usage/Remarks

With @linkend, this element is an alternative to <xref> for internal cross-references, when the linking text (anchor) is not to be generated or acquired from the target element of the reference, but instead taken from the element contents like an HTML-style anchor. (The preferred element for internal links is <xref>, but <link> allows content such “previous figure” to be treated as a cross-reference.)
With @xlink:href, its value will provide the external link; the content of <link> may mirror this value or provide cross-referencing text, e.g., <link xlink:href="https://www.balisage.net">Balisage</link>.
If neither @linkend nor @xlink:href is used, the text content of the element itself is promoted to serve as the link target (to an external source) and must provide a full URL.
XLink attributes on this element are hard-coded to specify a simple link to an external resource.
Attributes
linkend

Linking Attributes

xlink:actuate (fixed value = onRequest)
xlink:href
xlink:show (fixed value = new)
xlink:title
xlink:type (fixed value = simple)
Models and Context
May be contained in
<attribution>, <author>, <bibliomixed>, <emphasis>, <jobtitle>, <mathphrase>, <orgname>, <para>, <phrase>, <quote>, <subscript>, <subtitle>, <superscript>, <td>, <term>, <th>, <title>, <trademark>
Description
Any combination of:
Expanded Content Model

(#PCDATA | emphasis | phrase | trademark | code | superscript | subscript | quote)*

Tagged Samples
With @xlink:href indicating resource to be linked
Contents may mirror @xlink:href value or include other text; processing uses @xlink:href value to create link. 
...
<para>The <link xlink:href="https://www.balisage.net">Balisage</link> 
  conference has been held since 2008 ...</para>
...
With @xlink:href omitted
Processing uses contents to create link
<article xmlns="http://docbook.org/ns/docbook" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"
  version="5.0-subset Balisage-1.5" xml:id="HR-23632987-8973">
  <title>Raleigh&#8217;s Discoveries in the New World</title>
  <subtitle>New Insight into the Roanoke Colony</subtitle>
  ...
  <appendix xml:id="mul-app2" xreflabel="Appendix II">
    ...
  </appendix>
  <bibliography>
    <title>Bibliography</title>
    ...

    <bibliomixed xml:id="prindle1996b" xreflabel="Prindle 1996b">Prindle, Tara. <quote>Native 
      American History of Corn</quote>. [online]. Native American Technology and Art. © 1996 
      [cited 14 Apr 1998]. 
      <link>http://www.lib.uconn.edu/NativeTech/cornhusk/cornhusk.html</link>.</bibliomixed>

    <bibliomixed xml:id="stick1983" xreflabel="Stick 1983">Stick, David. <emphasis role="ital"
      >Roanoke Island: The Beginnings of English America</emphasis>. Chapel Hill: University 
      of North Carolina Press, 1983.</bibliomixed>

    ...
  </bibliography>
</article>