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I'm not convinced tech pubs *needs* XML. Obviously, the styleset is limited,
compared to the tools (FrameMaker, Word) that we use, and the printing
industry is firmly grounded in PostScript . . . and PDF does pretty well for
online content, along with HTML-based help.
XML does bring the same structure to tech pubs that most of us have already,
and certainly with no improvement over SGML.
However, XML is here. We will be assimilated. At a minimum, we need to know
and understand XML to document it and its application. XML is also likely to
become the way to provide web content . . . are the days of PDF numbered?
XML will likely permit those of us with large budgets and big departments to
more easily include and share video, audio, and smell with our web-based
documentation . . . just kidding about the smell <g>.
Finally, XML will look really kewl on your resume.
Thoughts?
Sean
sean -at- quodata -dot- com
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ron Rhodes [SMTP:RRhodes -at- fourthchannel -dot- com]
> Sent: Friday, April 28, 2000 10:57 AM
>
> Dear Techwhirlers,
>
> I have found a lot of great sites for XML. But none of them really cover
> how a technical writer could use XML for documentation. Does anyone know
> of
> any sites that instruct the tech writer on producing XML-based
> documentation
> that also provide good examples of XML pages, DTDs, and XSL style sheets?
