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Re: Word and amazon.com (was: PDF a "book" of Word files )
Subject:Re: Word and amazon.com (was: PDF a "book" of Word files ) From:Sean Hower <hokumhome -at- freehomepage -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 9 Oct 2003 11:13:34 -0700 (PDT)
Excuse my ignorance on this subject, I've been working with XML strictly for web output, and before that I was working with DTP software strictly for print. So I have no "crossover" knowledge.
So, what I was picturing is a well formed (heck even valid) xml document. Crack that bad boy open in Word (or Frame, or whatever) AS an xml document. Apply a template that formats the xml. Then do a save as a DOC (or an FM file, or whatever). This way, the source xml file remains pure xml but you have a properly formatted output.
--- eric -dot- dunn -at- ca -dot- transport -dot- bombardier -dot- com wrote:
> ------------------------------
> XML will allow the sharing of content. The formatting and
> output will be up to how each individual DTP
> treats/processes and then displays the XML.
> ------------------------------
> Ideally. Do any of the existing DTP applications out there
> do this though? Are there plans for them to do it this way?
Well, if you consider RTF, MIF, and the fact all current DTPs come
out-of-the-box with filters and the capability to add after-market filters, then
yes they currently do this.
The big caveat that most have found is that if the source isn't well structured
it doesn't import well. For example to transfer from MSWord to FrameMaker you
need corresponding templates that are well formed and content that respects
template styles. But, even then the formatting based instructions do not
necessarily give context to the content being filtered, leading to
inconsistencies and errors in the interpretation. XML/SGML forces context and
structure on the content removing(limiting) the inconsistencies and ambiguities.
Also they bring to the table a recognized authority/standard on how to define
and validate the structure and common tools and methods to interpret the content
and context.
But if the XML is peppered with font, paraline, formatting, page breaks and so
forth (like MSWord's HTML output for example) you may as well (IMO) be
filtering/exchanging MIF and RTF.
Eric L. Dunn
Senior Technical Writer
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