RE: [docbook] Evaluating DocBook and DITA

["Rowland, Larry" <larry.rowland@hp.com>]

Eric,

This is a pretty complex decision point.  A couple of suggestions:

* Mocking up sample content in both schemas is a good idea.  Make sure you have an expert in each doing the mockups.  It can be very misleading to have someone knowledgeable in one schema trying to work in a different schema; the results you get can be misleading if the person doing the samples is more familiar with one markup scheme than the other.  Make sure you have equivalent expertise available in both schemas.

*) Consider a consultant with broad experience in both solutions.  Be aware of the single solution consultant with lots of background in one area and little in the other.  The conclusion is pretty likely to be the hammer the consultant is familiar with.  Consultants can cost but can save you from making mistakes that can be even more costly.  Ask around for recommendations.

*) Beware of vendors trying to sell a solution.  Even vendors that claim to support both frequently have biases that have to do with how well their solution deals with the schema in question.  It is better to have a solution in mind before approaching the vendors.

Good luck.  There is a lot to consider in this type of decision.

Best Regards,
Larry Rowland

-----Original Message-----
From: Dick Hamilton [mailto:rlhamilton@frii.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 10:25 AM
To: 'Eric Johnson'; docbook@lists.oasis-open.org
Subject: RE: [docbook] Evaluating DocBook and DITA

Eric,

I included a section on selecting an XML Schema in
my book, Managing Writers. While I would, of course,
encourage you to purchase the book:), that section
was published as a sample.  Here is the URL:

http://xmlpress.net/publications/managing-writers/sample-chapter-2/

The same section was also published as an article at:
http://www.thecontentwrangler.com/article/choosing_an_xml_schema_docbook
_or_dita/
While that site (The Content Wrangler) is more focused on
content management than schemas, you can find information
about DITA and DocBook there as well.

Hope that helps.

Dick Hamilton

Managing Writers: A Real World Guide to Managing Technical Documentation
http://xmlpress.net/managingwriters.html 

STC Summit Atlanta (May 2-6)
http://conference.stc.org

DocTrain/DITA (June 2-5)
http://doctrain.com/dita

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Eric Johnson [mailto:EMJOHNSO@progress.com] 
> Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 9:56 AM
> To: docbook@lists.oasis-open.org
> Subject: [docbook] Evaluating DocBook and DITA
> 
> 
> My company is in the middle of deciding what tools to 
> consolidate on. We
> currently have one fairly large project using DocBook and 
> another small
> project using DITA.
> I'm trying to find some resources that would lend some expert opinions
> on how to determine which is a better solution for our company. Any
> pointers, and opinions, would be welcomed.
> Thanks,
> Eric 
> 
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