XML import/export to/from FM+SGML

[Dan Emory <danemory@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

After further analysis, I've concluded that FM+SGML 5.5.6, even with the
addition of the XMLcss.dll plug-in, does not have the capability to properly
export structured documents as well-formed, properly formatted XML that
includes links and cross-references. Nor does it have the capability to
import XML document instances. I surmise that there is nothing in V6.0 that
would alter my conclusion. Here are the problems:

1. The XMLcss.dll plug-in produces stylesheets with many formatting anomalies.

2. Document splitting is not supported (see Restrictions on page 497 of the
Developer's Guide).

3. Hypertext links (including cross-reference links) are not converted (see
Restrictions on page 497 of the Developer's Guide).

4. XML document instances cannot be imported into FM+SGML (see Restrictions
on page 497 of the Developer's Guide).

Using a proven EDD/DTD and import/export application that I've used
successfully for several years to create structured documents and export
them to SGML, I tested the XML export capabilities of V5.5.6 by creating
simple structured test documents that used the same EDD. The test documents
included cross-references. The existing SGML import/export application was
modified to add UTF-8 encoding and the xml-export API client for XML export.
The same read/write rules employed for SGML export were used. The resulting
exported XML documents (with their companion .css files) were then
successfully opened in IE5, where the formatting irregularities were quite
apparent. And, of course, an attempt was made to see if the cross-reference
links were preserved (they weren't).

A week or so ago, I had suggested on this list that it might be possible to
add a 3rd-party pre-processor that would convert unicode values in XML
document instances back to their corresponding ISO character set entity
references before importing them into FM+SGML. The pre-processor would also
make some minor deletions/additions required to turn the XML instance into
an SGML instance (assuming that these converted instances would then conform
to an EDD/DTD defined in an FM+SGML import/export application). For the
reasons cited above (in particular the formatting anomalies and the loss of
all links, which are both show-stoppers), I've now concluded that, unless
V6.0 has corrected these deficiencies, it wouldn't be worth the trouble to
develop such an import pre-processor.  
     ====================
     | Nullius in Verba |
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Dan Emory, Dan Emory & Associates
FrameMaker/FrameMaker+SGML Document Design & Database Publishing
Voice/Fax: 949-722-8971 E-Mail: danemory@primenet.com
10044 Adams Ave. #208, Huntington Beach, CA 92646
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