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XML, Growing Up Fast
XML, Growing Up Fast
XML, Growing Up Fast One problem is that beau- It’s also possible that we
BY SARAH S. O’KEEFE, Associate Fellow tiful print layouts almost will finally see some prog-
always require formatting ress in support for XSL-FO
exceptions. When fitting creation tools. However,
July/August 2008 27
the XML strategist
28 July/August 2008
the XML strategist
• All of the editable views the editor should offer rich, elegant, non-XML ChemicalML discussion, cml
should support condi- intelligent suggestions on authoring environment .sourceforge.net/historical/position
tional content display, where reuse might be ap- and wonder why moving to .html
so that you can author propriate. (Interestingly, XML requires a huge step
in a preview mode for a AuthorIT and Flare are backward in usability for Colin Moock’s blog post
specific output or with all both moving in this direc- authors. about XFL, www.moock.org/
content showing. tion. Sadly, their author- It’s my opinion that over blog/archives/000269.html
• All of the editing views ing tools are not XML time, XML will become
should be able to display authoring tools.) as ubiquitous as HTML. MathML, www.w3.org/Math/
all supported document The structured authoring
components, including As I write my list of de- paradigm, which allows us to Project Mars, labs.adobe.com/
text, graphics, audio, and mands, it occurs to me that I enforce required document wiki/index.php/Mars
video. For example, a should defend the software structures, is compelling
hypothetical iPhone vendors. The reason that for technical documents. SVG, www.w3.org/TR/SVG/
content mode should nobody has built a tool like Software will eventually
(currently) not render this yet is because it’s hard. address the authoring and
any Flash video content. The technical documenta- publishing challenges, and Sarah O’Keefe (xmlstrategist@
PDF mode should show tion market is not known for more content types will scriptorium.com) is founder
all multimedia content. spending freely on software, migrate to XML formats. and president of Scriptorium
Print preview mode even when the productivity The implementation cost Publishing Services, Inc.
should replace live video gains are compelling. will decline and the value of (www.scriptorium.com), based
with static graphic images an XML-based environment in Research Triangle Park,
and disable hyperlinks. Living Up to Hype will increase, resulting in North Carolina. She is a senior
• Assigning metadata to a Many of you are probably more organizations migrat- member of the Carolina Chapter
particular content unit tired of hearing about the ing to XML. STC and of the Consulting and
should be fast and easy. glories of XML. Perhaps you If you are considering Independent Contracting and
• As you author content, like your current feature- XML, develop your own Management communities.
July/August 2008 29