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XML … and the Changing World of Rules Automation: Impacts/Opportunities

XML … and the Changing World of Rules Automation: Impacts/Opportunities. Barry Schaeffer. C ontent L ife-cycle C onsulting. NASS February Meeting 2009. XML… What is it, Really ?. A data coding format for… virtually anything.

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XML … and the Changing World of Rules Automation: Impacts/Opportunities

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  1. XML…and the Changing Worldof Rules Automation:Impacts/Opportunities Barry Schaeffer Content Life-cycle Consulting NASS February Meeting 2009

  2. XML… What is it, Really ? • A data coding format for… virtually anything. • Grew from SGML to simplify and update it for the evolving Internet age. • Like SGML, perhaps the only good way of making text logical for computers… (“SGML can do nothing more than enable documents to act like databases” SGML developer Charles Goldfarb) • Uses “embedded” instead of “positional” identifiers to describe content. • Uniquely capable of fully recording the detailed logic and flow of textual data.

  3. XML Characteristics(in brief) • Defining XML? • Structural Notation: rules for defining languages, not the languages themselves. • Not a programming language • Made up of Tags, Attributes, “Maps”: • Tags: <Name> content </Name> • Attributes: <Name ATTR=xxx> content </Name> • Maps: (machine readable) • Document Type Definition (DTD) • Schema

  4. XML Characteristics (in brief) What can XML do? • Identify content via elements and tags. • Describeelements (metadata) via attributes. • Describe hierarchies within documents. • Describe relationships among elements, within and among documents/elements, etc. • Support processing via machine-readable maps (DTDs/XML Schemas) • “Type” content and metadata via XML Schemas (not supported in DTDs)

  5. A Quick History “TEXT” Morse code… Teletype, paper tape, etc. Embedded Coding Computer Typesetting Page1/GML/SGML Content Mgmt. Syst. XML DOM, XQuery, XSLT, etc. “DATA” Punched Cards (Rows and Columns) Business Computing Database Theory (Relational/Hierarchical) RDBMS Software SQL(query language), etc.

  6. Drives Limits A Directional Modelfor Text Automation Planning Requirements Resources

  7. Acquisition Creation Manage-ment Rendering Delivery The Text Automation Life-Cycle The Classical Approach: Process Based Development (software) Driven?

  8. User Demands* * The ultimate measure of success Deliverable Content Source Content Raw Content The Text Automation Life-Cycle The Evolving Approach: Content Based User/Provider Driven?

  9. Limits Drives A Concrete Example: • User Demands • Web navigation • Web query • Metadata • Associations • History • Downloads • Paged products • Personalization • Simplicity • Approximation • Source Content? • WP (Word?) • Word (OML) • XHTML? • XML? • Other? • Deliverable Content • XHTML (web) • PDF (pages) • XML (system) • XML? (Web) • Raw Content? • Word new • Word old • WP • Paper • TXT • XML/SGML ?

  10. Some Foundation Suggestions • Understand your consumers’ current and coming needs FIRST! • Understand the limits of your providers and sources to provide raw content, next. • Design your source content to meet those needs, taking your limits into account. • Focus your initial software acquisition and development on contentcreation, revision and delivery. • Resist the temptation to start with a high- priced Content Management System.

  11. Understand the intended Consumers Understand Their Needs, Anticipate their Demands Know the Consumers and their Needs You must know… • Who they are. • What information they need and want from you… do you have it? • What behaviors and information you need and can expect from them. • How much they are likely to know or care about your system. • How much help they will need from you to use the system. • The consequences, for them and you, if they fail.

  12. Understand the Providers and Sources You must know… Understand your sources/ providers • Who and where they are. • How much control you have over them. • What information you want from them; in what format/s. • Their level of ability, willingness and mandate to consistently meet those needs. • What it will require & cost to complete their raw input once you receive it. • The consequences, for them and you, of their failure or refusal to participate.

  13. Define & Understand the Content • Notation (XML, images, etc.) • Input architecture (what can you get from the providers?) • Target source content architecture (what you keep and deliver) • Delivery architecture (what drives response to consumers) • Content functionality: multi-media, reuse, finding aids, transformation, revision, etc. • Content volume, volatility

  14. System Design/ Development NOW… Use all of it to Conduct Rigorous System Development • Consumers • Functional needs\ • Risks and mitigation • Content definitions • Sources/providers • Content volume • Transaction volume • Load/growth pattern • Staff support needs • Technology • Funding requirements, etc. Requirements/ Resource Assessment System Test Operation/ evaluation Staff Training Success?

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