Re: [FrameSGML] XML import/export to/from FM+SGML

[Marcus Carr <mrc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dan Emory wrote:

> 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.

In my opinion, support for CSS isn't really necessary for an application like
FrameMaker+SGML and in some ways, its existence clouds the way I would expect the
resultant XML to be used. I prefer to think of FrameMaker+SGML as a datasource
like any other - something that generates data, not formatting. If the XML was
coming from a database, you would think nothing of applying and XSL stage
post-extraction - in fact if you're going to a browser you're probably going to
need to do that anyway regardless of what application created the data. I suspect
that CSS support wasn't that difficult and made for a good selling point, so was
included. Really, straight up XML is more what I would want out of
FrameMaker+SGML.

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

This falls into the same class for me - I don't expect FrameMaker+SGML to create
the equivalent of a web site, I just want XML that I can do something with.
Splitting is a usage issue - if the data's going to a browser, I may have reason
to split and link, but if it's feeding into a database, I certainly don't. The
selection of an XSL style sheet that uses document() will accomplish this at the
time that the data is being used, not when it's being created.

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

That's a real problem - have you had any ideas about getting around it? Can we get
some comment from Adobe about this?

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

They aren't currently supported, but there's no reason that they can't be as long
as FrameMaker+SGML believes that the data is SGML - using an API client, this
shouldn't be difficult.

I'm not convinced that it's not worth creating an XML import, but the loss of the
links during export are a show-stopper. I have most of the code for creating an
API client that uses OmniMark to support import of XML into FrameMaker+SGML - if
Adobe could comment on the viability of preserving links on export and I can get
to a point where it still looks worthwhile, I'll put it together and we can all
have a look.

Any comments?


--
Regards,

Marcus Carr                      email:  mrc@allette.com.au
___________________________________________________________________
Allette Systems (Australia)      www:    http://www.allette.com.au
___________________________________________________________________
"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."
       - Einstein



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