RE: SGML, DTDs, EDDs, and FOSIs

[HALL Bill <bill.hall@xxxxxxxxx>]

Eric,

I may have missed your first question here. What are you after? To develop
an output format for an XML DTD? or are you specifically wanting to convert
existing documents from Adept/Epic to FM?

Developing a print format in FM for SGML (and I presume XML) although
complex, is not difficult to learn, and I think nothing would be gained from
trying to port a format spec from the FOSI to an FM SGML/XML application and
EDD over developing what you want directly in the FM environment.

We haven't had any documentation produced in Adept to worry about, and are
quite happy to use FM+SGML as our output formatting engine - which is quite
satisfactory for DefAust standard tech manuals (derived from the US
standard). 

Admittedly, we started with templates developed by one of the local FM VAR
consultants (http://www.absolutedata.com.au)- which they provide as a free
service to the Australian defence industry, but our tech writers have gone
well beyond the supplied template without major dramas. 

However, given that they are now skilled in both FM and Epic,
AbsoluteDataGroup might even be worth contacting re the FOSI conversion. We
have worked with them over several years, and can attest to their expertise.
It may well be possible to provide what you want remotely (at highly
competitive $A rates).

For output formatting (e.g., if you need to worry about lists of effected
pages, etc.) you may wish to consider a separate formatting engine such as
Xyenterprise's XPP (http://www.xyenterprise.com) or Turn-Key System's
TopLeaf (http://www.turnkey.com.au), available in North America via
Metaformix (Vancouver) http://www.metaformixis.com/. As noted we use
FM+SGML, because that is what we started with and we were given a template
set to get us started, but if we were starting from scratch to build a print
formatting application for SGML/XML we would certainly have a good look at
TopLeaf before deciding an approach.

Xyenterprise has been involved with defence SGML and output standards from
the early 1990's, but XPP is likely to be a lot more expensive to license
than TopLeaf would be. I have no idea what experience Metaformix has, but so
far as I know, TurnKey has not tried to penetrate the Australian defence
standards market - probably due FM's essential monopoly that no one seems
unhappy with. On the other hand, if you want to build a DIY solution, you
should probably look at TopLeaf because I know that they have dealt with the
List of Effected Pages.

Regards,

Bill Hall
Documentation Systems Analyst
Strategy and Development Group
Tenix Defence
Nelson House, Nelson Place
Williamstown, Vic. 3016
Australia
Tel: +61 3 9244 4820
     +61 3 9244 4000 (Switch)
URL: http://www.tenix.com
Mailto:bill.hall@tenix.com

** To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@omsys.com **
** with "unsubscribe framers" (no quotes) in the body.   **