Re: Giving up on XML

["Paul Pehrson" <paulpehrson -at- gmail -dot- com>]

Hmmm. I'm jumping into this thread late, and I admit that I didn't read
through all the other replies, however, I'll submit that I'm using MadCap
Flare V2.5 for authoring, and it stores my documents in an XML format. Just
last ween I used Flare to create a printed version of my guide that needed
absolutely no tweaking in the printed form, and I used it to create a
differently-styled web-help output with different variables, some different
topics, and some on-line specific text.

Flare allowed me to author without "giving a fudge about rigidly enforced
document structure," and I was able to produce multiple outputs from my
single source topics.

My documents, to me, seem unstructured, though I recognize that in the
inner-workings of Flare they are, in fact, structured.

Sure, you can create your own XML-based markup language if you want, but it
seems to me that in the end why bother when there are vendors that will
create tools that allow you to work with XML (with all the benefits of using
XML), and never have to worry about the underlying code? I suppose it is a
case of picking the right tool that allows you to accomplish your end goal,
which to me is more important than the specific method for achieving that
goal.

Best wishes,

Paul Pehrson
Midvale UT

On 3/19/07, Gene Kim-Eng <techwr -at- genek -dot- com> wrote:
>
> I think that before the dust settles, for XML to successfully
> become the ubitquitous standard document language that it's
> hyped to be, some provision will need to be made for users
> who have a need to use the language (for example, to enable
> the same topic text to be used in print/PDF docs, online
> help and automated user wizards) but who don't give a fudge
> about rigidly enforced document structure.  If XML is just
> a language there's no reason why it shouldn't be possible to
> use it in tools that create unstructured documents as well.
>
> Gene Kim-Eng
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mike Starr" <mikestarr-techwr-l -at- writestarr -dot- com>
>
> Well, of course you're right... if I could think of a reason I'd need a
> nanny to watch over my shoulder and make sure I didn't violate standards
> I'd
> have to choose a different tool.
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
> 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,
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-- 
Paul Pehrson
Midvale, UT
www.paulpehrson.com   blog.paulpehrson.com
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

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

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