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RE: XML-based Help Authoring tools for customized help
Subject:RE: XML-based Help Authoring tools for customized help From:"France Baril" <France -dot- Baril -at- ixiasoft -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 15 Dec 2003 16:26:45 -0500
I would tend to agree with you on the fact that with docbook you choose to use XML with some constraints. However, a docbook document is an XML document (the shelf is not a hammer). You can store, parse, transform, search a docbook document as you would any other XML document.
I will not argue on the word adopting, but I would NOT tell someone using docbook that they are NOT using XML... I would however tell someone using a bookshelf that they are NOT using a hammer (unless they are hammering as I talk to them ;-)).
France
-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Baker [mailto:listsub -at- analecta -dot- com]
Sent: December 15, 2003 4:17 PM
To: France Baril; TECHWR-L
Subject: Re: XML-based Help Authoring tools for customized help
France Baril wrote
> Mark, unless you are adopting the SGML version of docbook, since docbook
is a set of XML tags how are you not adopting XML?
>
> If I adopt a kid who has a dog, am I not also adopting the dog?
Put it another way. When you buy a hammer you are buying a tool that can be
used to build anything from a bookshelf to mansion.
If you buy a bookshelf you are buying something that was made with a hammer
but you are not buying a hammer. Even though the bookshelf was made with a
hammer and a manison is made with a hammer it does not follow that you can
hold a debutant ball in a bookcase. Nor can you use a bookcase to hammer in
nails.
A bookcase has the characteristics of a bookcase. It is made using a hammer
but it does not have the characteristics of a hammer.
Docbook is a specific application of XML technology with a specific set of
characterists. When you adopt it you get those specific characteristics. You
do not get the characteristics of XML.
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