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Re: XML Primer Re: TECHWR-L Premium Jobs, Events, and Announcements
Subject:Re: XML Primer Re: TECHWR-L Premium Jobs, Events, and Announcements From:eric -dot- dunn -at- ca -dot- transport -dot- bombardier -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Fri, 6 May 2005 14:00:18 -0400
bounce-techwr-l-106467 -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com wrote on 05/06/2005 12:51:32 PM:
> The main point is that we don't know how the XML file will be used.
You sure? That may be true from a conceptual data design standpoint, but
is a foreign concept to most documentation departments and many people
implementing XML compliant systems.
> That XML is not bound to a presumed renderer is one of the tough
> things for GUI document app users to get their brains around. If
> they dive-in without getting this, they'll end up with crufty XML,
> and be frustrated.
Actually, the renderer argument is bound to failure IMO if you're trying
to explain the difference to a writer used to using style tags. They
really don't care. Trying to make them care is a pointless and thankless
task.
Just have to drum into their heads "Why is it bold?", "Why is it
underlined?", "Why is it numbered?", etc. if they initially complain about
not having styles to choose from.
That approach works with both new content creators AND new designers.
Don't forget that the first time someone designs a 'ML solution it is
undoubtedly for a SPECIFIC system with specific requirements and outputs.
If the big picture isn't thought of at the beginning, the effort might not
result in as much of a gain as could have been.
But it still raises a interesting point that XML as DATA and semantics
only is not a requirement ANYWHERE. I think I posted in the thread about
WordML something similar. RTF or MIF in and XML compliant notation is
still a leap forward from the non-compliant versions. Because then, even
though the majority of the markup is format driven, it can be passed to
XML technology bases systems and parsed and treated for the content.
> I've found, though, that it's important to steer
> folks away from mental traps when talking about XML for documents.
> It's almost better _not_ to use familiar metaphors. Just tear it
> all down and build the explanation from scratch.
That's why I get unnerved/annoyed when I hear the old rote explanations to
the inexperienced or the ruminations of 'ML intelligentsia. I've
experienced first hand the frustration of getting a straight concise
explanation of the interworkings and the frustration of having even the
simplest of explanations being misinterpreted by content creators.
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