[xtm-wg] Learning Topic Maps

["Scott Tsao" <tsao@gte.net>]

I would like to get my hands dirty on Topic Maps.  One idea I have in 
mind is to actually create a topic map based on the index from a 
book.  I currently have the PDF file for the book and am thinking 
about finding a set of TM tools for this exercise.  The steps I 
envision will be:
1. Design the topic map by identifying the topic types, topics, 
occurrence roles, association types and roles from the index of the 
book.
2. Create the topic map as designed using a TM creation tool.
3. Convert the PDF file to HTML pages.
4. Associate the address of each occurrence in the HTML pages with 
the corresponding topic (using the book index to look up the page 
number and manually find the line of text on that page).  I assume 
the TM creation tool will need me to enter the addresses.
5. Export the XML file from the TM creation tool.
6. Import the XML file into a TM navigation tool.
7. Test the navigation both within the topic domain and from the 
topic domain to the resource domain.
8. Modify the topic map using the TM creation tool and repeat steps 5 
through 7.

I am also thinking about going through this same process for another 
book which is on the same subject but of course will have its own 
index for me to creat the second topic map.  Having both topic maps 
created, I will then use a TM merge tool to merge two topic maps.  In 
that process, I plan to add themes that will define the scope for 
each topic assignment (name, occurrence, or association).  After 
that, I will then export the XML file for further testing using the 
TM navigation tool.

Since I have never done this before, I would like to ask the 
following questions:
1. Are the process steps mentioned above making sense?  Have I missed 
anything?
2. Although I mentioned 3 different tools, i.e., 
creation/navigation/merge, is there one tool that can perform all 
three functions?  Any suggestion for the tool(s)?
3. Do I have to convert the PDF file to HTML pages?  If yes, is there 
any tool to do that?  If no, how can I make individual text in the 
PDF file addressable?
4. Are there any other questions I should have asked?

I hope that by going through this exercise I will have a much clearer 
understanding of Topic Maps and the associated tools.  Please help!

Thanks,

Scott Tsao


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