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Subject: Re: [doc-mgmt] Standardized XML format for OASIS documents or documentmetadata
A couple years ago I made some preliminary inquiries to various XML authoring tool vendors to see if they might consider giving OASIS sufficient numbers of free licenses so that the TCs could use their tool for authoring the TC specs. The results were positive, though admittedly at the time there were far fewer TCs than today. The reason that I didn't pursue this further was because at the time we didn't have an agreed upon template. We now have these templates, so I suppose that I could make some inquiries again. (Though of course not all of the companies I talked to back then are still around.) I suppose to be fair I would have to make the request to a number of vendors, as we can't have OASIS being perceived as endorsing the product of any one vendor. -Karl Matthew MacKenzie wrote: > I never suggested we 'mandate' an editing tool, merely that OASIS > provide licenses for one in the event that we do mandate an XML format > for the specifications. I think the W3C does this, and that is probably > why they have been successful in keeping people away from proprietary > editing programs. > > -matt > Drummond Reed wrote: > >> As a long time document automation advocate, I want to second John's >> suggestion that while I don't think it will ever be practical (or even >> desirable) to mandate an editing tool, it does make sense to mandate a >> common format. The more support the format has, the more editing tools >> that will support it. (Look how universal HTML support is now.) >> >> It would be nirvana to also have a WebDAV interface to that common >> format, so our different editing tools could all interact with the OASIS >> repository directly. >> >> =Drummond >> -----Original Message----- >> From: John Kemp [mailto:john.kemp@earthlink.net] >> Sent: Wednesday, June 04, 2003 10:31 AM >> To: Matthew MacKenzie >> Cc: Drummond Reed; doc-mgmt@lists.oasis-open.org; Gabe Wachob (E-mail); >> Marc LeMaitre >> Subject: Re: [doc-mgmt] Standardized XML format for OASIS documents or >> document metadata >> >> Matt, >> >> As someone who has recently led an effort to standardize on using >> DocBook for single-source publishing of our specifications, I would >> agree that it is difficult to get people to edit DocBook. Based on my >> experience, I don't see how we will ever get people entirely away from >> using something like MS Word to author documents (unless better products >> come along that duplicate Word's functionality, but are more open with >> their file formats). But, I think there is a path that leads between the >> two - if we can specify that (for example) the canonical source format >> for Oasis documents is DocBook XML, and find ways to translate from >> Word, OpenOffice or other formats to DocBook, then I think this approach >> can succeed. >> I won't deny that there is a significant effort involved in building a >> publication system based on DocBook, but, there are some significant >> advantages: >> >> 1) DocBook is a textual format, which makes it much better for >> identifying differences between versions of a document. Many versioning >> systems can't diff binary files. >> 2) Publication to HTML or PDF (or even RTF) can all be accomplished from >> the same source document, with no editing changes. 3) Document >> publication can be largely automated, and it's even possible >> to generate the latest copies of documents on the fly (Apache Cocoon is >> starting to make that possible). >> We publish the majority of the Liberty Project specifications using >> DocBook, and given the number of documents now involved in that project, >> I am very happy to be able to type a single command and have the system >> go off and make all of the latest document versions. So, I would highly >> recommend using DocBook, and although specifying a good WYSIWYG editing >> tool is one approach to this problem, another is to specify tools that >> can translate reliably between Word/OpenOffice and DocBook. >> And, after all, DocBook is an OASIS project! >> >> Cheers, >> >> - JohnK >> >> ________________________________ >> John Kemp<?fontfamily><?param Helvetica><?bigger> >> /<?/bigger><?/fontfamily> john.kemp@earthlink.net >> (+1) 413.458.9053 / frumioj@AOL >> Coordinating Editor / Project Liberty >> >> On Monday, Jun 2, 2003, at 17:31 US/Eastern, Matthew MacKenzie wrote: >> I'm a big fan of using something like DocBook XML to author specs, and >> have the OASIS system manage all of the XSL to dynamically deliver the >> document, but to do this sort of thing requires OASIS to provide a >> license to some sort of WYSIWYG tool to all OASIS editors. >> >> I've tried and failed to get various OASIS'ers to use docbook, they >> always complain that it is to complicated...and it is too complicated >> for 90% of us. >> >> So, I'll add "editing tool" to Drummond's suggestion below. >> >> -Matt >> >> Drummond Reed wrote: >> On today's doc-mgmt call I was reminded of the advantages that W3C has >> enjoyed by standardizing on the format for their deliverables, and in >> particular of making sure that at least metadata concerning any official >> W3C document is available in a standard XML format. >> >> This is almost an extension of the requirement for persistent URIs, as >> essentially it says that not only will there be a constant point at >> which the document can be referenced, but a consistent way to query and >> obtain metadata about the document that exists at that point (without >> necessarily having to download or access the entire document). >> >> Providing a machine-readable, programmable interface to all OASIS >> documents will, I suspect, be invaluable as OASIS specifications are >> increasingly integrated with other XML specifications and repositories. >> >> =Drummond >> >> To unsubscribe from this list please send a post to >> doc-mgmt-unsubscribe@lists.oasis-open.org. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> To unsubscribe from this list please send a post to >> doc-mgmt-unsubscribe@lists.oasis-open.org. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> To unsubscribe from this list please send a post to >> doc-mgmt-unsubscribe@lists.oasis-open.org. >> >> >> >> > > > > To unsubscribe from this list please send a post to > doc-mgmt-unsubscribe@lists.oasis-open.org. > > > > -- ================================================================= Karl F. Best Vice President, OASIS office +1 978.667.5115 x206 mobile +1 978.761.1648 karl.best@oasis-open.org http://www.oasis-open.org
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