Advantages of FM+SGML (was Re: Editing PDFs)

[Dan Emory <danemory@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Everything you say about the advantages of FM+SGML in a Work Group
environment is absolutely correct. There are, however, several other
important advantages you didn't mention:

REVISION TRACKING
One big advantage you didn't mention is the capability to use attributes to
record the applicable ECN number in those portions of the document where
something was changed to reflect an ECN. This allows you to search for each
instance where a particular ECN number was entered in the attribute used for
that purpose. Using this search technique, quality assurance can find and
examine each document component that was impacted by the ECN.

A more automated method of accomplishing this kind of revision tracking is
to link FM+SGML via a bridge to an object-oriented SGML database repository
(SGDBR) such as Chrystal Astoria. When a new document is initially saved out
as SGML, the SGDBR parses the SGML document instance into its constituent
components, saving each such component separately. The FM+SGML-to-SGDBR
bridge accomplishes this action. Subsequently, the bridge allows authors to
check out an entire document instance, or any portion thereof, for editing.
While it is checked out, no one else can check it out for editing.

When editing is completed, the bridge is used to check the edited document
or document portion back into the SGDBR as SGML. During the check-in
process, the author can be required to fill out a form describing the
change, including the applicable ECN or ECO number that precipitated the
change. This added metadata is attached to the edited document or portion
thereof. Consequently, if only that portion of a document which needs
changing is checked out for editing, revision tracking is possible to almost
any level of granularity.

COLLABORATIVE AUTHORING
Note that such an FM+SGML-to-SGDBR bridge is ideal for a collaborative
authoring environment. Many simultaneous edits on a single document can be
accomplished without the possibility of the conflicts that would otherwise
occur in a more conventional document management system. Not only that, but
the SGDBR preserves all previous versions of each component that has been
changed, as well as the most current version, making it possible to revert
any portion of the document to an earlier version.

AUTOMATED ENFORCEMENT OF STYLE GUIDES AND STRUCTURE 
It really isn't necessary to customize FM+SGML in order to prevent
contributors from altering formats, using illegal ad-hoc format overrides,
creating invalid structureS, and other forms of cheating and incompetence
that often escape detection in ustructured FrameMaker documents. To
eliminate all of these, you use the following procedure:

1. Use Element > Validate to validate the structure. All violations of the
EDD/DTD are found, including invalid attribute values, and required
attributes which have no value. During the validation process, each
offending element is highlighted in the structure view, and the nature of
its invalidity is described.

2. Use File > Import > Formats to import formats from the template used to
create the document. This wipes out any illegal changes to those formats
that the author might have made in the document's catalogs, restoring them
to the template-prescribed formats.

3. Use File > Import > Element Definitions to import the element catalog
from the template used to create the document. This will remove every single
illegal override to the format-rule-specified formats/tags in the EDD,
including:

        a. Any ad-hoc formatting of character strings within paragraphs that
should have been formatted using text range elements.

        b. Any attempt to illegally change the format-rule-specified tag
(e.g., a deviant paragraph tag, character tag, cross-reference format) that
is applied to an element. 

At the end of this process, every single illegal format override and invalid
structural component in the document is removed/fixed, and the document is
fully conformant with the EDD and its template. The knowledge that these
actions will be performed as an integral part of the quality assurance
activity has a powerful deterrent effect on the inclination of authors to
cheat out of ignorance, incompetence, laziness, sloppiness, or defiance.  
=========================================================================
At 11:03 AM 5/27/99 +1000, HALL Bill wrote:
>In response to Richard Inch's comments re allowing source/subject matter
>experts (SMEs) write directly in FrameMaker, let me offer some additional
>comments and suggestions.
>
>This is a very good argument for using SGML.  Since our company started some
>1o years ago, almost all of our authoring has been done directly by SMEs -
>and yes, we have had diabolical problems and costs when this was done in an
>uncontrolled word processing environment - we probably would have saved
>money by typing from handwritten manuscripts.  However, for more than three
>years we have had engineers authoring technical documents in SGML (using
>InContext, would you believe), and about 18 months using FrameMaker+SGML
>(techwriters with engineering skills) with virtually no problems by
>comparison to a word processing environment.  We are in the process of
>moving all of our technical documentation into an SGML object management
>environment, with the intent that most authoring will still be done by SMEs
>using FrameMaker+SGML - with some editing and review done by tech author
>supervisors.
>
>FrameMaker+SGML is ideal for this.  Menus can be customised so authors have
>no access to stylesheets.  Their only input will be structural decisions
>within the limits determined by the SGML DTD and plain text.  However, they
>can still see what the printed format will look like.  In this environment
>there will be very little they can do to stuff up the works!  This
>eliminates a vast host of problems that one faces in the Billygates'
>authoring environment - or in any other environment that allows untechnical
>authors to access style functions.  We anticipate the combination of the
>object management system (with its workflows for engineering change
>processes, etc.) and a logical and simple authoring environment (at least
>from the author's point of view) should substantially reduce our
>documentation development costs relative to our current systems that are
>still based on word processing applications.
     ====================
     | Nullius in Verba |
     ====================
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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