R: SGML implementation

[Alessandro Bottoni <bottoni -at- CADLAB -dot- IT>]

[Answering to mgmt -at- pacbell -dot- net about SGML]

[ mgmt -at- pacbell -dot- net ]
DocBook is a DTD for software manual creation?
[Alessandro Bottoni]
Yes. It is supported by Microsoft, IBM, SunSoft and others. You can find a
description of DocBook at these URLs:

http://www.ora.com/davenport/index.html

http://g68.ryd.student.liu.se/doc/docbook-doc/

http://www.oreilly.com/homepages/jasper/DocBook/over.htm

[ mgmt -at- pacbell -dot- net ]
So for a software manual, is a component the equivalent of a section or
whatever you want it to be include?
[Alessandro Bottoni]
Yes. A component is a section of text defined by a pair of SGML tags.
For example, you can have a section called "command options", defined by the
pair of tags <options> and </options>. You enclude the description of a few
"command options" between these two tags. An SGML-aware database, like
Crystal Astoria, can identify this "component" and record it in a database
field. Then, you can take this component from the database and use it in a
new document. This same component can be formatted, for example in italics,
by using a Style Sheet (FOSI or DSSS).


[ mgmt -at- pacbell -dot- net ]
FOSI or DSSS style sheets
Can you clarify?
[Alessandro Bottoni]
FOSI and DSSSL are two standards used to create Style Sheets, like the CSS
used with HTML. A style Sheet is a file that contains a description of the
visual appearence of the text section defined by SGML tags. For example, you
can define that the text included between <options> and </options> should be
rendered in italics. By using different style sheet, you can render the text
for paper printing and for the web (this last is a "Your-DTD to HTML"
conversion, actually). (By the Way: the right acronym is "DSSSL". My
glossary item was incorrect...).
You can find more info about DSSSL at this URL:

http://www.sil.org/sgml/dsssl.html

For FOSI, you will have to search the net with yahoo....

[ mgmt -at- pacbell -dot- net ]
Documents for correspondence and the like, is that correct?
[Alessandro Bottoni]
Yes. Documents that you do not need to reuse should not be created and
handled with SGML.

I suggest you to visit these site for further info on SGML editors and
tools:

www.arbortext.com (SGML editors and DTD editors and tools)

www.crystal.com (SGML database)

Hope this help.