Existing Doc Systems, Part 3 (XML)


Kim Lester (kim@dfusion.com.au)
Wed, 12 Jan 2000 18:12:18 +0000


         Existing Doc Systems, Part 3 (XML)
         ==================================

    Warning: This is mostly guesswork.
    
    Most comments that apply to SGML apply to XML.
    I admit to not knowing the exact difference between the two
    but I believe it to be roughly the following:
    SGML is an ISO standard (ominous/arguable benefit :-))
    XML is a W3 Consortium standard
 
    XML (Extensive Markup Language)
    ---
       http://www.w3.org/XML/
       http://www.w3.org/XML/1999/XML-in-10-points [good intro]
       http://www.oasis-open.org/cover/sgml-xml.html
     

    XML is the new universal format for web based information.
    
    XML is essentially the same as SGML (perhaps technically a subset)
    but it defines a few issues more rigidly which makes the XML
    based formats easier to parse in software.

    XML vs HTML
    -----------
    The difference between XML and HTML is that HTML tags define
    how text/data is displayed. XML tags define what the text/data
    is (eg author/title etc). How these are displayed is a separate
    issue.

    XML and DocBook
    ---------------

    DocBook is an SGML DTD.
    XML doesn't necessarilty require a DTD but it is a good idea (??)
    There will be an XML - DocBook DTD.
    An alpha version can be found at:
                     http://www.nwalsh.com/docbook/xml/

    
    XML Editors/Viewers and other Software
    --------------------------------------
    It is anticipated that XML browsers will become available
    "soon".
    
    Look at the w3.org site. There is a range of XML software.
    
 
    XSL (XML Style Sheet)
    ---
    
            XSL is to XML what DSSSL is to SGML (phew!)
            (ie it defines how XML looks on screen/paper)
            http://www.w3.org/TR/xsl

    
    RDF (Resource Description Framework)
    ---
            http://www.w3.org/RDF/Overview.html
            
            RDF is deigned to hamdle the following web based activites
            andsits on top of XML:
            
                    sitemaps
                    content ratings
                stream channel definitions
                search engine data collection (web crawling)
                digital library collections
                distributed authoring

    XPointer - refer http://www.w3.org/TR/NOTE-xptr-req
    
    XLink - refer http://www.w3.org/TR/NOTE-xlink-req
    
    There are lots of other acronyms (DOM, XDL XSLT etc) which
    I am not going to mention as they are going off the point.
    
    
    Most pros and cons are same as for SGML with the following
    additions.
    
    Pros
    ----
     Benefits of SGML but simpler
     Appears to be the nex big techno "wave"
     DocBook DTD (almost) available for XML
     
    
    Cons
    ----
     Aspects of related standards not complete (Pointers,Links)
     Few/no current browsers support XML
     Less tools than SGML



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