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Reviewing XML tools
Joined: 25 May 2006
Posts: 1
Reviewing XML tools
Hi There!
We`re in the process of reviewing tools for our techwriting
department. Does anyone have any input on using any of the following
for creating content in a central location that exports to XML docbook
format for our help files, but also exports to word, pdf, and html.
The tools we`re looking at are:
AuthorIT
Framemaker
XMLmind
Xmetal
Open Office
Vignette Content management system
Any input would be helpful!
Thanks so much!
Lisa
Joined: 14 Jun 2003
Posts: 12
Reviewing XML tools
At the moment, I am climbing the learning curve for LyX (and LaTeX, of
course!). See http://www.lyx.org for details.
This produces the best-looking printed docs, and can also easily
export DocBook SGML or XML, .pdf, and .html. Word, too, I understand,
with the appropriate converter--but I have no interest in that.
OpenOffice.org can import DocBook XML quite well, and output highly
compatible Word .doc files. (I believe there is also an export
capability, but have not tried.)
LyX is different than a word processing program in one significant
way--it is a so-called "WYGIWYM" ("what you get is what you mean")
system, in which formatting decisions are made by the layout and style
files rather than by endless fiddling by the author. This creates
documents that are extremely maintainable, absent the huge number of
format overrides that are so common with Word or Frame docs through
their revision histories.
LyX also works with Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux--and is *free* as well.
Concerning OpenOffice.org, I am a strong believer in Open Document
Format, as a platform-agnostic format that is immune from being made
unusable with time--a very common problem with Word docs after a few
years. It is also quite nice to be off the upgrade treadmill of Word.
David
On 5/25/06, lataet <lataet@...> wrote:
> Hi There!
>
> We`re in the process of reviewing tools for our techwriting
> department. Does anyone have any input on using any of the following
> for creating content in a central location that exports to XML docbook
> format for our help files, but also exports to word, pdf, and html.
> The tools we`re looking at are:
>
> AuthorIT
> Framemaker
> XMLmind
> Xmetal
> Open Office
> Vignette Content management system
>
> Any input would be helpful!
> Thanks so much!
>
> Lisa
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Joined: 27 May 2006
Posts: 1
Reviewing XML tools
I think I might give LyX a look-see, myself. It sounds interesting.
I have been playing with OpenOffice.org (OOo) for a short time and
have not really tested it thoroughly. However, I have round-tripped a
few documents (originated in both apps) between OOo and Word 2003 and
have been impressed with how well the documents come out in both
applications.
Also, the Open Document Format (ODF) was recently (May 5, I believe)
accepted as an open standard by the ISO.
Regards,
Doug
On 5/26/06, David Neeley <dbneeley@...> wrote:
> At the moment, I am climbing the learning curve for LyX (and LaTeX, of
> course!). See http://www.lyx.org for details.
<snip>
>
> LyX is different than a word processing program in one significant
> way--it is a so-called "WYGIWYM" ("what you get is what you mean")
> system, in which formatting decisions are made by the layout and style
> files rather than by endless fiddling by the author.
<snip>
> LyX also works with Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux--and is *free* as well.
>
> Concerning OpenOffice.org, I am a strong believer in Open Document
> Format, as a platform-agnostic format that is immune from being made
> unusable with time--a very common problem with Word docs after a few
> years. It is also quite nice to be off the upgrade treadmill of Word.
--
Douglas Metcalfe-White
CROSSROADS Technical Communications Management
dougmw.crossroadstcm@...
Cell:360-624-7850
Joined: 27 May 2006
Posts: 1
Reviewing XML tools
I can`t speak much about the exporting functionality, but I`d like to
offer input on the editor.
We are currently switching to xMetal as our solution. If you are looking
for a pure wysiwyg editor, and you have no intention of using the editor
to edit code directly, it`s actually a pretty decent product. Definitely
take a look.
However, if you intend on editing the xml directly in a source view
(i.e. you are working with tags, and setting attributes directly) I
would not recommend the product. It has only very basic support for
direct XML editing, and I`ve found much better tools for considerably
less money.
My preference has actually been for a programming editor such as oXygen,
or Visual Studio. The express edition of Visual Studio is free and
includes a half decent XML editor.
- Dave
-----Original Message-----
From: xml-doc@yahoogroups.com [mailto:xml-doc@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of lataet
Sent: Thursday, May 25, 2006 7:58 AM
To: xml-doc@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [xml-doc] Reviewing XML tools
Hi There!
We`re in the process of reviewing tools for our techwriting
department. Does anyone have any input on using any of the following
for creating content in a central location that exports to XML docbook
format for our help files, but also exports to word, pdf, and html.
The tools we`re looking at are:
AuthorIT
Framemaker
XMLmind
Xmetal
Open Office
Vignette Content management system
Any input would be helpful!
Thanks so much!
Lisa
Yahoo! Groups Links
Joined: 25 Jun 2005
Posts: 2
Reviewing XML tools
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Hash: SHA1
"lataet" <lataet@...> writes:
> We`re in the process of reviewing tools for our techwriting
> department. Does anyone have any input on using any of the following
> for creating content in a central location that exports to XML docbook
> format for our help files, but also exports to word, pdf, and html.
Lisa,
As for creating content, I`m quite happy with Emacs and nxml-mode.
Bill
- --
Bill Harris http://facilitatedsystems.com/weblog/
Facilitated Systems Everett, WA 98208 USA
http://facilitatedsystems.com/ phone: +1 425 337-5541
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Joined: 10 Feb 2005
Posts: 2
Reviewing XML tools
Start getting your priorities right. For example, if budget is not a problem,
several vendors would like to offer you a turn-key solution, but you won`t be
successful without clear success criteria. Plan for the next 3 or 5 years. For
example, do you expect to be able to syndicate content to/from subcontractors
and customers? Do you expect to integrate revision management of documentation
with revision management of the rest of the product? What about customization?
localization? In what ways are documentation going to add value?
Describe your current workflow and whatever dependencies you have on legacy
producers and consumers of documentation. For example, for online help files,
you must have a way of maintaining the identifiers that relate the documentation
to the product. You will eventually have to do this in detail, but you can start
with a survey.
Describe your current information architecture:
- identifiers
- metadata, indexes, annotations
- cross-references
- part/whole relationships
Do you have math? graphics? audio/video?
Given that you have decided to use DocBook XML for exchange (and storage?), all
those publication formats are feasible -- depending on a lot of painful details.
Conversion to Word can be tricky, depending on the content and purpose. How do
you expect to be able to use the Word files?
You might want to consider a wider selection of content/document management
systems.
http://www.contentmanager.net/itguide/market_overview_products_cms.html
http://www.cmprofessionals.org/resources/cmsml/
http://thecontentwrangler.com/categories/C3/
http://www.cmsreview.com/
You might want to consider a wider selection of authoring/editing tools. I miss
PTC Arbortext Editor on your list.
http://www.ptc.com/appserver/mkt/products/home.jsp?k=3593
Remember the ol` saying about SGML: no pain, no gain. Expect techwriter/SME
acceptance to be at least as import as strictly technical issues. Establish a
bridge-head project.
Kind regards
Peter Ring
> -----Original Message-----
> From: xml-doc@yahoogroups.com
> [mailto:xml-doc@yahoogroups.com]On Behalf
> Of lataet
> Sent: 25. maj 2006 16:57
> To: xml-doc@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [xml-doc] Reviewing XML tools
>
>
> Hi There!
>
> We`re in the process of reviewing tools for our techwriting
> department. Does anyone have any input on using any of the following
> for creating content in a central location that exports to
> XML docbook
> format for our help files, but also exports to word, pdf, and html.
> The tools we`re looking at are:
>
> AuthorIT
> Framemaker
> XMLmind
> Xmetal
> Open Office
> Vignette Content management system
>
> Any input would be helpful!
> Thanks so much!
>
> Lisa
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Joined: 29 May 2006
Posts: 1
Reviewing XML tools
Hello Lisa, I`m not familiar with your situation. But if you are
looking for an easy-to-use-tool for XML authoring (Word interface)
integrated to a number of leading CMS (e.g. Documentum, Livelink,
Tridion, InfoShare, SQL-servers etc.) you may want to visit
http://www.infomap.com/documents/Content_Mapper_Demo7.swf and have a
look.
Content Mapper is the name of the system. It allows non-XML-
experienced authors to create, maintain, compose and reuse XML
documents and publish via multiple stylesheets.
It also works with multiple Schemas if there is different needs in
different departments in your organisation.
Please let me know if I can assist you any further
Thanks, Ole Rom Andersen
--- In xml-doc@yahoogroups.com, "lataet" <lataet@...> wrote:
>
> Hi There!
>
> We`re in the process of reviewing tools for our techwriting
> department. Does anyone have any input on using any of the
following
> for creating content in a central location that exports to XML
docbook
> format for our help files, but also exports to word, pdf, and
html.
> The tools we`re looking at are:
>
> AuthorIT
> Framemaker
> XMLmind
> Xmetal
> Open Office
> Vignette Content management system
>
> Any input would be helpful!
> Thanks so much!
>
> Lisa
>
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