Re: Giving up on XML

Subject: Re: Giving up on XML
From: "Bob Doyle" <bobdoyle -at- skybuilders -dot- com>
To: "Chris Vickery" <cvickery -at- arenasolutions -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2007 17:46:49 -0400

Hi Chris,

On page 1 of the shopping cart, select Coupon Code as the Payment Method,
then enter BETA when asked for the code.

We should tell the others about this.

It is explained on the How To Join page.
http://www.ditausers.org/membership/how_to_join/

Your criticisms and comments will be very valuable to us during the beta
period.

Cheers,

Bob.

On 3/16/07, Chris Vickery <cvickery -at- arenasolutions -dot- com> wrote:
>
> Hi Bob
>
> I saw your info about the ditausers group on the Tech-Wrl list, and
> wanted to join, but when I went to do just that, I was asked for my
> credit card info, despite the "free in beta" offer. Can I join without
> giving my credit card info?
>
> Thanks and best regards
>
> Chris
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: techwr-l-bounces+cvickery=arenasolutions -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+cvickery=arenasolutions -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com]
> On Behalf Of Bob Doyle
> Sent: Friday, March 16, 2007 1:34 PM
> To: eric -dot- dunn -at- ca -dot- transport -dot- bombardier -dot- com
> Cc: techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> Subject: Re: Giving up on XML
>
> Hi Eric and all,
>
> >
> > You can?t allow the common reference to be a misrepresentation.
> There?s a
> > basic minimum that needs to be learned. The relationship between XML,
> > DTDs, implementations, and Tools would, IMO, be that bare minimum.
> > Because only once that is understood can it be determined if the
> problems
> > or misunderstandings lie in configuring/installing a tool,
> understanding
> > the structure of a specific implementation (HTML, DITA, Docbook), or
> else
> > where.
>
>
> Let me provide some background toward that basic minimum of learning.
>
> XML is a very general markup language. Like SGML (standard generalized
> markup language), it needs a list of the allowable content elements
> against
> which a document is "validated.".
>
> This is the DTD (document type definition), also called the content
> model -
> a list of allowable elements, what order they can be in, how many are
> allowed of each, etc. It's like the EDD (element definition document) of
> Framemaker, which (unfortunately) also includes the styles information.
> Modern good practice is to separate presentation from content.
>
> To produce output, XML uses XSLT (a stylesheet and transformation
> language -
> and a procedural programming language written in XML itself).
>
> So XML has three levels, the allowed structure and content model (DTD,
> the
> content itself (XML), and the presentation styles (XSLT). HTML mixes all
> three together. Framemaker mixes content model and styles.
>
> A bit of history.
>
> XML was standardized in 1996 -a kind of cross between HTML and SGML.
>
> Over 10 years earlier, SGML was the latest version of GML. It's best
> known
> tool is DocBook, which was designed for book format documentation.
>
> IBM used SGML and DocBook for their documentation. Then they used XML
> and
> DocBook.
>
> Then they realized that technical documentation should no longer be in
> book
> format!
>
> Rather it should be written in reusable chunks.
>
> The idea of chunking technical documentation goes back to the 1960's and
> Information Mapping (http://www.infomap.com). Information Mapping
> recognized many Information Blocks (chunks), Information Maps
> (arrangements
> of blocks), and Information Types.
>
> Around 2000, IBMs documentation writers limited the Information Types to
> only four. They then created a relatively simple DTD with only a couple
> of
> hundred allowable language elements in these types.
> http://www.ditausers.org/resources/dita_elements
>
> The basic general type is called a "topic." Writing reusable chunks is
> now
> called topic-based authoring.
>
> They then "specialized" this generic topic (remember biological
> inheritance
> - taxonomy of species?) into concepts, tasks, and references.
>
> They called it Darwin (see why?) Information Typing Architecture or
> DITA. It
> consists of topics and maps.
>
> DITA maps are like magical tables of contents, really just lists of
> links to
> topics (links are called topicref, analogous to hyperlink hrefs).
>
> You rearrange your topicrefs in a ditamap, build (process) the map, and
> out
> comes a new document (in Help, HTML, PDF or other formats).
>
> IBM and many other organizations invested many man years and millions of
> dollars creating DTDs to use with XML. But the generality and
> eXtensibility
> proved way to flexible. It was very difficult to get agreement on DTDs.
>
> The genius of DITA is that created one basic DTD (actually a small set)
> and
> also a set of XSLTs. They implemented all their tech docs in them.
>
> Then gave them away as open source to be maintained by OASIS
> (Organization
> for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards).
> http://www.dita.xml.org.
>
> They gave them to you and to me, so we would not have to hassle with our
> own
> DTDs.
>
> The XSLTs they collected into a processing engine called the DITA Open
> Toolkit, which builds DITA topics and maps into multi-channel
> publications,
> print, web, help, etc.
>
> This too they gave away. It is available for free download from
> SourceForge.
> http://dita-ot.sourceforge.net/
>
> Many of the concerns of techwhirlers expressed in this thread about
> Giving
> Up on XML were experienced by IBM years ago.
>
> They are way past those concerns and so should we be.
>
> As to the tools needed to work with DITA, last year I reviewed the top
> 12
> XML editors, identifying those that do DITA.
> http://www.cmsreview.com/XML/Editors.
>
> And I am now developing a web-hosted toolset with the DITA Open Toolkit
> running on a server, and a browser-based editor called DITA Storm (
> http://www.ditastorm.com), so tech writers can get started with DITA and
> topic-based structured writing - without knowing XML, and without
> writing a
> DTD or an XSLT.
>
> Please help us to build this hosted learning environment and
> collaborating
> community.
>
> Membership is free while it is still in beta.
> http://www.ditausers.org/membership/how_to_join/
>
> Cheers,
>
> Bob.
>
> --
> Bob Doyle
> Editor In Chief, CMS Review - http://www.cmsreview.com
> Former Technology Advisor, CM Pros -
> http://www.cmprofessionals.org/membership/cm-profiles/bob-doyle
> Contributing Editor, EContent Magazine -
> http://www.econtentmag.com/About/AboutAuthor.aspx?AuthorID=155
> President and CEO, skyBuilders - http://www.skybuilders.com
> 77 Huron Avenue
> Cambridge, MA 02138
> Tel: +1 617-876-5676 Skype:bobdoyle
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
> Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats
> or
> printed documentation. Features include single source authoring, team
> authoring,
> Web-based technology, and PDF output.
> http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList
>
> Now shipping: Help &amp; Manual 4 with RoboHelp(r) import! New editor,
> full Unicode support. Create help files, web-based help and PDF in up
> to 106 languages with Help &amp; Manual: http://www.helpandmanual.com
>
> ---
> You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as cvickery -at- arenasolutions -dot- com -dot-
>
> To unsubscribe send a blank email to
> techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
> or visit
> http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/cvickery%40arenasolut
> ions.com
>
>
> To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
>
> Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
> http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.
>
>
>


--
Bob Doyle
Editor In Chief, CMS Review - http://www.cmsreview.com
Former Technology Advisor, CM Pros -
http://www.cmprofessionals.org/membership/cm-profiles/bob-doyle
Contributing Editor, EContent Magazine -
http://www.econtentmag.com/About/AboutAuthor.aspx?AuthorID=155
President and CEO, skyBuilders - http://www.skybuilders.com
77 Huron Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
Tel: +1 617-876-5676 Skype:bobdoyle
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or
printed documentation. Features include single source authoring, team authoring,
Web-based technology, and PDF output. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

Now shipping: Help &amp; Manual 4 with RoboHelp(r) import! New editor,
full Unicode support. Create help files, web-based help and PDF in up
to 106 languages with Help &amp; Manual: http://www.helpandmanual.com

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40web.techwr-l.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.


References:
re: Giving up on XML: From: eric . dunn
Re: Giving up on XML: From: Bob Doyle

Previous by Author: Re: Giving up on XML
Next by Author: Re: Giving up on XML
Previous by Thread: Re: Giving up on XML
Next by Thread: Re: Giving up on XML


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


Sponsored Ads