To SGML or Not to SGML?

[Carl Stieren <stieren -at- DEV -dot- SIMWARE -dot- COM>]

RESULTS OF SURVEY

Thanks to all who responded to my questionnaire.

From my survey on March 1, there were seven responses.

However, only three of these were completed questionnaires (representing
four companies).

Therefore, I am posting the questionnaire again at the end of this message
so those who didn't see it can reply.
 (Note to Eric J. Ray: Don't worry; this is the LAST time I will post it!).

RESULTS SO FAR:

>OF THOSE CURRENTLY USING SGML:

>1. How many employees do you have?

15
40
1500
10,000.

>2. How many of these employees work in your documentation department?



25
50

>3. When did you start using SGML?

1995 (1)
1993 (2)
1992 (1)

>4. Which software tools do you use, and on which platform?

- Interleaf
- XyWrite III (for SGML markup)
- Author/Editor from SoftQuad
- DynaText from EBT (for processing)
- "sgmls, sgmlsasp, CoST, LaTeX (for formatting), various WWW
   browsers, and a bunch of perl hacks :-) "

>4. Which DTD do you use?
        - DOCBOOK DTD       (1)
         - another public DTD    (1- HTML 2.0)
         - a DTD your firm created  (2)

>5. In which end formats do your users get the SGML docs?

File Formats:
         AWK (??)
        .MIF
        .GML
        .RTF for online help
        ASCII for online help
        HTML (in the future)

Users' software:

        BookManger electronic docs
        WinHelp
        OS/2 help


>6. How long did it take you
>       a) to set up for SGML
                - 1 month
                - months
                - 1 year (plus a week or so for each new project)

About a month initially, though it's under continual refinement.

>       b) to train your staff
                - ongoing, staff who know LaTeX can "pick up the basics in an
hour or two"
                - haven't started yet
                - 3 months initially + 2 days later; in future 1 week for new staff

>7. We have been given an offer to serve as a pilot site for the
>construction of a dedicated Internet SGML/HTML node for corporate users.
> If we accepted this offer, would we be

        -  wise (2)
        -  foolish (0)
        - can't say (1)

*****************************************************************************
RE-POSTING OF QUESTIONNAIRE
****************************************************************************

FOR ANYONE WHO IS CURRENTLY USING SGML:

1. How many employees do you have?

2. How many of these employees work in your documentation department?

3. When did you start using SGML?

4. Which software tools do you use, and on which platform?


4. Which DTD do you use?
        a) DOCBOOK DTD
        b) another public DTD
        c) a DTD your firm created

5. What's the end product after your docs are tagged for SGML
Into  which end formats do your users get the SGML docs?
        a) file format (i.e. .RTF, HTML, .MIF, etc.)
        b) for online docs you produce, the type (i.e. Windows online help,
IBM Book                 Manager, etc.)
        c) for hard copy you produce, the publishing software (i.e.
FrameMaker, Word for                 Windows)

6. How long did it take you
        a) to set up your SGML tagging, validating software and hardware
        b) to train your staff

7. We have been given an offer to serve as a pilot site for the construction
of a dedicated Internet SGML/HTML node for corporate users.  If we accepted
this offer, would we be
        a) wise
        b) foolish
        c) just a year or so too early

************************************************************************
Carl Stieren.................Technical Writer.................Simware, Inc
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
  |"The earth to be spann'd, connected by net-work...               |
  | The oceans to be cross'd, the distant brought near,             |
  | The lands to be welded together." (W. Whitman, d. 1892)  |
 +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
stieren -at- dev -dot- simware -dot- com -dot-  -dot-  -dot-  -dot-  -dot-  -dot-  -dot-  -dot-  -dot-  -dot-  -dot-  -dot-  -dot-  -dot-  -dot-  -dot-  -dot-  -dot-  -dot-  -dot-  -dot-  -dot-  -dot-  -dot-  -dot-  -dot-  -dot-  -dot- Ottawa, CANADA
I write documents for, but do not speak on behalf of  Simware.