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> any sites that instruct the tech writer on producing XML-based
>I agree, XML is a moving target, as is HTML (now at, what, version 4 plus
>all the browser differences) and JavaScript (what, at 1.2)? Indeed, I find
>that, like the scripting languages, programming languages are moving
>targets, too, although certainly more mature than newbies like XML and
HTML,
>PowerBuilder and Visual Basic, for example, are changing, maturing, and
>adding features . . ..
Over the last three weeks, I have spent nearly full time investigating this
issue. The first accepted XML standard is in place and has been for a year
or so. It is not the moving target it was.
>Exporting SGML to XML sounds like an excellent way to go. There are some
>differences, XML won't let you take some of the shortcuts (be as sloppy)
>that SGML will. OTOH, XML does not seem to be as broad in scope as SGML,
but
>seems to be getting a wider audience and support.
From what I have learned it is not an issue of shortcuts but
standardization. SGML allows just about whatever you want, but XML can't
because, being developed primarily for the web, it has to be usable without
a DTD which is what took away some of the flexibility of SGML.
If hardcopy or PDF is an acceptable output format for your customers, you
may be able to delay getting involved with XML, but if you involved in web
or browser-based delivery, you won't be able to avoid at least XHTML (an XML
compliant implementation of HTML soon to replace standard HTML) and likely
full XML. It's become clear to me I will have to be at least knowledgeable
and perhaps fluent in one or both of them. There's lots more information out
there. Here's a few places to get started:
