XML Tools

1. XML Tools Seybold-Boston 2001 Jabin White Executive Director, Electronic Publishing Services Harcourt Health Sciences

2. Our Topics • Introductions • What is XML? • Overview of tool types, including samples from each category • The “people” issues • “War Stories” -- lessons learned • Conclusions

3. Who Am I? • Started as Editorial Assistant, then DE • Learned SGML in 1995 at Mosby • Moved to Williams & Wilkins in 1997, merged with Lippincott-Raven in ‘98 -- started “front-end” initiative • Unbound Medicine in 2000 as Content Specialist -- developing content for use on Palm, Web, anything • Harcourt Health Sciences in November, 2000, as Executive Director, Electronic Publishing Services

4. What Is Harcourt Health Sciences? • Publishes under the imprints of Mosby, W.B. Saunders, and Churchill Livingstone • Global operations, including Philadelphia, St. Louis, New York, London, Edinburgh • Publish content for health care professionals -- doctors, nurses, allied health professionals • Wide variety of books, journals, periodicals, electronic products (MD Consult)

5. What is XML • eXtensible Markup Language • A set of rules that allow content creators to create their own markup tags, apply those tags, and share them with others • A subset of SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language) • More powerful than HTML because someone (Tim Berners-Lee) made up all the tags you can use in HTML • “Document Typing” is powerful, because you can target tags to your specific content needs

6. How XML Came About • SGML was being used, but was “too hard” • Ease of HTML results in explosion of web • Companies try to make HTML do things that Berners-Lee never intended it to do • “Dynamic” HTML diverged into Microsoft version and Netscape version

7. How XML Came About (cont’d) • XML is a result of W3C effort to standardize on extending HTML tags • Announced as development effort in Boston at SGML ‘96 • Announced as “recommendation” in Washington at SGML/XML ’97 • Telling that SGML/XML ’97 became XML ‘98

8. Hardest Easiest

9. Jabin’s Shopping List Other Markup SGML/XML Languages <list> <list type=grocery> <item>Bread</item> <grain>Bread</grain> <item>Milk</item> <dairy>Milk</dairy> <item>Bananas</item> <fruit>Bananas</fruit> <item>Beans</item> <veggie>Beans</veggie> </list> </list>

10. The goals of XML’s Designers • XML shall be straightforwardly usable over the Internet. • XML shall support a wide variety of applications. • XML shall be compatible with SGML. • It shall be easy to write programs which process XML documents. • The number of optional features in XML is to be kept to the absolute minimum, ideally zero. • XML documents should be human-legible and reasonably clear. • The XML design should be prepared quickly. • The design of XML shall be formal and concise. • XML documents shall be easy to create. • Terseness in XML markup is of minimal importance. • From W3C XML page

11. Who said this? • “When we looked at what was happening with e-commerce a few years ago, it was clear that what was needed was a completely new set of technologies that would help companies do business online in new ways, and improve the performance of their existing business processes. XML is the foundation for that. … We’re betting the company on XML and what it can do for businesses and consumers.” • Bill Gates, Chief Software Architect, Microsoft Corporation

12. Overview of XML Tools • DTD/Schema creators • Stylesheet creators • XSLT Processors • XML Editors • Different “classes” of editors

13. DTD and Schema Creators • Emacs • Excelon Stylus • XML Spy

14. XSL(T) or Stylesheet Editors • XML Spy • XML Cooktop • Emacs (with Xslide)

15. XSLT Processors • Saxon • MSXML • Xalan • XT (MS Java and JVM versions) • Sablotron • Infoteria • Oracle • Unicorn

16. XML Editors • Structured Editors • Xmetal, XML Spy, Epic, Excelon Stylus, XML Pro • MS Word Plug-ins • WorxSE, I4I’s S4/Text • Post editing conversion tools • Inera’s eXtyles (see Lucas Hendrich’s presentation)

17. Data Conversion • There’s nothing like a good conversion vendor • “When” you convert is a personal decision – there is no “one size fits all” answer • Analyze fiscal and workflow impact at different stages of production cycle

18. When to Convert? • In general terms, the earlier, the better • Human beings doing markup will always provide smarter tagging than machines • Costs absorbed during “traditional” editing process • More timely delivery of final files to web • Greater file flexibility allows publishers to take advantage of technology for peer review, proof review, etc.

19. Decisions, Decisions • Decision to move tagging upstream in the publishing cycle must be an individual one • A business decision, not a technology decision • The more information, the better • By its nature, SGML/XML is a very “open” community

20. Look inward • Examine current tools in use • Examine *how* they are being used • Strive for consistency across organization (although a purist’s view of XML means that the toolset does not matter) • Keep end users’ needs in mind • Show users the benefits of using consistent, structured tools

21. Flexible Publishing Engines • If you are dealing with XML, anything is possible with stylesheets • If not, each different output requires different $$$$ • If you have a lot of flexible output requirements, makes argument for media-neutral publishing stronger • Can you really predict all data outputs 3-4 years into the future? • Apache, Cocoon, JSP Demo

22. Editorial & Production Traditional “wall” must come down for SGML/XML to be effectively entered on front end of publishing cycle

23. Who Tags? • Production has and always will drive *format* driven tagging • <Head>, <Para>, <List>, etc. • Editorial, working with authors, should drive intelligent markup • The closer to the authors you can get, the better • Please stop laughing

24. Front-end XML Publishing Editorial Format-level tags using structured tool Authors, Marketing, Customers Turns MS over to production, leads definition of tag set Production Assist Editorial in defining tag set Content Assistance in defining tag set, advocate for market-driven electronic products Electronic Publishing Application Support Not “tech support.” Calls for unique skill set. The “roadmap” to intelligent content. All parties must participate. DTD, template design, DTD maintenance Top-level management XML Expertise Recognition that “SGML button” does not exist DTDs

25. War Stories • Failure: Re-engineering nightmare • Success: Drug reference conversion

26. Stories from the Front – Failure (Re-Engineering Nightmare) • 25-journal typesetting group working in Quark • Needed to get SGML output • Had structured editing tool to supply SGML into Quark • Needed to “keep” SGML codes in tact throughout pagination process • Tried to use tool to hide SGML tags within Quark, then maintain them on output • Too much technology, not enough thought about workflow

27. Stories from the Front – Success (Drug Reference Conversion) • Drug reference post-converted into SGML for previous edition • Needed to update and make pages • Trained staff of 2 editors on structured SGML editing tool • Close “application support” throughout the process • Delivered high-quality, semantic SGML on schedule • Pages composed and electronic product derived from same files • Electronic product shipped with book

28. Conclusions • People issues matter more than technology issues • Tools are getting better … much better • Plenty of help available • Don’t fall victim to “analysis paralysis,” but take a close look (or have someone else take a close look) at your organization • It’s a marathon, not a sprint!

29. Thank You • Questions?