Re: XML (and chunking)

[HALL Bill <bill -dot- hall -at- tenix -dot- com>]

Sharon Burton-Hardin asked if anyone was using Frame to do XML, and its role
in "chunking" documents for reusability.

At Tenix we are in the process of moving maintenance documentation for fleet
of ships from WordPerfect into SGML/XML, for control in a document and
content management database (RMIT University's SIM DCMS) to support re-use
of common text elements.

Our initial analysis indicated that we should have no difficulties
developing a completely XML compliant DTD and working with this in
FrameMaker+SGML. However, as we have developed our DTD's, we have found it
substantially simpler to express some of the "chunk" related metadata
attributes (e.g., "language" - where slightly different texts are delivered
for New Zealand vs Australian ships, applicability, effectivity, change
ID's, etc.) as inclusion elements, which are not allowed in XML. If we were
to follow the XML standard completely, we would have to include these
attributes in every element where we might possibly want to use them. By
staying with an SGML DTD we are able to use the attributes where they are
relevant, and totally ignore them where they are not.

This issue still isn't decided for certain, as we are having a major working
party with our client in a couple of weeks to consider this and other DTD
related issues.

However, once the documents are assembled for delivery to the Web or
printing, there are no problems stripping out the metadata to deliver pure
XML if this is what is required.

Bill Hall
Documentation Systems Specialist
Integrated Logistic Support
Naval Projects & Support
Tenix Defence Systems Pty Ltd
Williamstown, Vic. 3016 Australia
Email: bill -dot- hall -at- tenix -dot- com