RE: Tech writers, cookbooks, and XML

Subject: RE: Tech writers, cookbooks, and XML
From: Steve Shepard <STEVES -at- YARDI -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2001 21:12:25 -0800

Well, in the middle of this discussion I purchased the MasterCook 6.0 recipe
management program. It includes a ton of recipes as well as being able to
create your own. Very flexible. Handles recipes, nutritional info, shopping
lists, etc. I was playing with the import/export function and took a look at
it's export files in UltraEdit. Low and behold, it's in XML. Well, I need to
learn XML, so I figure learning how to decipher the program's XML output and
recreate the necessary DTD it would probably be a pretty good start on
learning XML.

So now I am looking for recommendations of books on beginning XML. Any
suggestions?

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Collier

I think good general technical writing principles would apply, like no more
than one step per instruction. An imperative statement ("do this, but not
that") could require an explanation.

If you are interested in learning XML, this would be a good exercise for it.
Think of all of the elements an XML recipe document should have:

<INGREDIENT>
<INSTRUCTION>
<STEP>
<IMPERATIVE>
<EXPLANATION>
...many others I'm sure...

Create a document type definition (DTD) that defines how these elements are
used (for example, you can require that an <INSTRUCTION> element contains
only one <STEP> element, and you can allow multiple <INSTRUCTION> elements;
further, if there is an <IMPERATIVE> element you can require that it has an
<EXPLANATION>.) Validate your recipe documents against this DTD.

After you've done all this and told Grandma that her beef stew recipe
doesn't conform to the DTD, order take-out as you won't have time to cook.

There is a good introductory article on XML in the April 1999 issue of STC's

Intercom that is very helpful (full text not online though).

................................................................
Michael Collier, Technical Writer Office: N546
Information Systems Laboratory http://isl.arlut.utexas.edu/
Applied Research Laboratories: The University of Texas at Austin
Voice: 512-835-3408 e-mail: mcollier -at- arlut -dot- utexas -dot- edu

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Develop HTML-Based Help with Macromedia Dreamweaver 4 ($100 STC Discount)
**WEST COAST LOCATIONS** San Jose (Mar 1-2), San Francisco (Apr 16-17)
http://www.weisner.com/training/dreamweaver_help.htm or 800-646-9989.

Sponsored by DigiPub Solutions Corp, producers of PDF 2001
Conference East, June 4-5, Baltimore/Washington D.C. area.
http://www.pdfconference.com or toll-free 877/278-2131.

---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as: archive -at- raycomm -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
Send administrative questions to ejray -at- raycomm -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.raycomm.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.


Previous by Author: FW: IT Security Policy & Procedures Manual
Next by Author: RE: Binding printed doc
Previous by Thread: RE: Restrictions
Next by Thread: Re: Tech writers, cookbooks, and XML


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads