The SGML Implementation Guide, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1995 A Blueprint for SGML Migration

Foreword------------------------------------- SGML is misunderstood and underestimated. I have always wanted to write this book. I am pleased that two people with whom I have had the pleasure to work were finally able to do so. Since I have always been a bit of an evangelist, I feel pride when my "students" become recognized "teachers". In the early years of SGML we struggled to define a language that would bring the information to its rightful place. We succeeded. Then we had to explain these idea to technical adoptors. Again, I think we have succeeded. We have learned much about SGML in the process of implementing it. These experiences must now also be shared, along with comprehensible information on the lan­ guage itself. The word must move out of the lab and the computer center and reach the business people, the users, the movers and shakers. The next generation will do things with SGML that we can't even imagine yet- it is that versatile.

I / The Business Issues.- 1 / Your Publishing System is Broken!.- Related Topics.- The Problem with Unstructured Information.- The Promise of SGML.- Technology Changes.- Stating Problems with Publishing Systems in Business Terms.- What are Goals of an SGML-Based System?.- The Power of SGML Databases.- Enabling Information Management Technologies.- Problems Inherent in Existing Systems.- Conceptual Configuration of the Solution System.- 2 / Evolution of Publishing Systems.- Related Topics.- Markup Systems.- Punctuation, Capitalization, and Spacing.- Presentational Markup.- Procedural Markup.- Generic Markup.- Standardized Markup.- Summary.- Publishing Systems.- Stand-alone Composition Systems.- Linked Publishing Systems.- Integrated Publishing Systems.- Federated Publishing Systems.- Publishing Process Flow.- Summary.- 3 / Desktop Publishing and Professional Publishing Systems.- Related Topics.- Productivity and Flexibility — Which Tool is Right for the Job.- Desktop Publishing.- Professional Systems.- Let Editors Edit.- The Best of Both Worlds.- Checklist for Selecting a System.- 4 / The SGML Environment.- Related Topics.- Working in an SGML Environment.- The SGML Environment.- SGML Parser.- Translator.- SGML Editorial Workstation.- SGMLAdd-ins.- Delivery Vehicles.- Workflow Managers.- Database Repositories.- DTD Development Tools.- Related Standards.- What is an SGML Application?.- II / The Project.- 5 / Document Analysis.- Related Topics.- Documents and Document Models.- The Document Analysis Team.- The Evangelist.- The Document Analyst.- The Document Analysis Team.- The Document Analysis Methodology.- The Document Analysis Report.- Preliminary Analysis.- Expanded Group Analysis.- The Document Model.- Discovering the Information in Documents.- Illustrating Information Structure.- Documents and Databases.- Formatting and Structure.- Format Tagging.- Structure Tagging.- Content Tagging.- Balanced Approach.- Usability and Understandability.- Reusability and By-products.- Longevity of Data.- Common Elements.- System Issues.- Performance.- System Limitations.- Degree of Automation.- Defining a Markup Language — The Recipe.- Elements in a Recipe.- 6 / The SGML Application.- Related Topics.- The Application Defined.- The Application Development Team.- Owner.- Managers.- Analysts.- Programmers.- Users.- Application Considerations.- Capture.- Editorial Workstations.- SGML Browsers.- Databases.- Composition Engines.- Translation to non-SGML applications.- Publication-specific Development.- Vendor-Supplied Applications.- Customizability.- SGML Features Supported.- Integratability.- System Compatibility and Resources.- Support.- Price.- SGML Application Integration Issues.- Glue.- Cross-platform Compatibility.- 7 / Implementation Planning.- Related Topics.- System Evaluation and Design.- Project Scope.- Stating Business Objectives.- Using SGML to Restructure Processes and Information.- Functional Evaluation.- Conceptual Design.- Cost and Benefit Evaluation.- Quantifying Benefits.- System Development.- Implementation Tasks.- Implementation Resources.- 8 / Information Conversion.- Related Topics.- The Need for Conversion.- Terms.- Anatomy of an SGML Conversion.- The Basic Conversion Process.- Finding Clues in Source Data.- Creating a Conversion Spec.- Data Conversion Planning and Implementation.- Planning.- Conversion Processing.- Managing DTD Change.- Data Cleansing and Validation.- Conversion Strategies.- Conversion Resources.- Existing Conversions that May be High-cost Areas.- Types of SGML Conversions.- Summary.- 9 / SGML Data Management and Workflow.- Related Topics.- The File System as Database Manager.- Entity Management.- Version Control.- Version Control Basics.- Revision Numbering.- Versions.- Branching.- Reconciliation.- Editions.- Reporting.- Graphical Interface.- Implementation Factors.- Network Functionality.- Database Managers.- Relational Databases.- Full-text Databases.- Object-oriented Databases.- Choosing an SGML-enabled Database Manager.- Document Assembly.- Granularity of Locking.- Version Management.- Programmability.- Tolerance of Invalid SGML.- Transaction Processing.- Query.- Blobs.- Direct Integration to System.- Database Implementation Factors.- Determine Granularity.- Application Development.- Workflow.- Workflow in Action.- Creating a Project.- Assigning Tasks.- User Authorities.- System Management.- Implementation Considerations.- III/The Language.- 10 / Understanding SGML.- Related Topics.- The SGML Document Model.- SGML Declaration.- SGML Document Instance Set.- Versions of SGML.- Markup.- Start-Tag.- End-Tag.- General Entity Reference.- Comment Declaration.- Processing Instruction.- Character Reference.- Marked Section Declaration.- Short Reference Use Declaration.- LINK Set Use Declaration.- Declarations.- The SGML Declaration.- The Document Type Definition.- The Element Declaration.- The Attribute Definition List Declaration.- The Entity Declaration.- The Comment Declaration.- The Document Type Declaration.- Link-related Declarations.- Short Reference Use Declaration.- Marked Section Declaration.- Notation Declaration.- Minimization Features.- Omitted Tag Minimization.- Short Reference Minimization (SHORTREF).- Short Tag Minimization (SHORTTAG).- Other Minimization Features.- 11 / Building the DTD.- Related Topics.- Organizing a DTD.- Naming Conventions.- Comment Your DTD.- Sequence.- Organizing Elements and Attributes.- Grouping Element Declarations.- Alphabetical or Sequential.- White Space.- Advanced Features.- DTD Version Control.- DTD Change Strategy.- Specific vs. General DTDs.- Test Your DTD Against Reality.- DTD Documentation.- Application Overview.- Tag Documentation.- Common Elements.- Tables.- Equations.- Cross-references.- Quotes.- Graphics.- Footnotes.- Indexing.- Warnings, Cautions, and Notes.- 12 / Tipniques and Pratfalls.- RelatedTopics.- Using Parameter Entity References.- Naming Parameter Entity References.- Elements vs. attributes.- Parameter Entities.- DTD Fragments.- Start-tag Omission.- Recursion.- Mixed Content.- Ambiguous Content Models.- Using CDATA and RCDATA Elements.- Using Glue to Hold an SGML System Together.- Convert Prologues from One Form to Another.- Normalize SGML Instances.- Pre-process Files for a Future Step.- Entity Management.- Omitted Attribute Specifications.- Uses for Empty Elements.- External Graphics.- Cross-references.- Numbers.- Formatting Information.- Managing Documents using “Hub Files”.- The Hub File Concept.- Generate Public Identifier Mapping Files.- Using Short Reference Minimization.- Quotes.- Tables.- Using Processing Instructions the “Right Way”.- SGML Editorial Workstation.- SGML Data Pre-processor.- Typesetting System.- Using Marked Sections.- Cautions When Using Nested Marked Sections.- Parameter Entities.- Using NOTATION for External Tables.- Tracking Information about Elements During DTD Development.- Using Ambiguity for Maximum Benefit.- A Tool to Assist in Accurate Document Analysis.- Use Table of Contents First.- The Problems with Politics.- Dealing with Floating Elements.- Using DOCTYPE ID to Fool Application.- Using Both LIT and LITA in an Attribute.- Embedding Notes During Conversion Clean-up.- Use Processing Instructions for Inter-application Communication.- Using Attributes to Capture Essential Data for Processing.- FOSI hints.- Protect Comments from the Parser.- Protect Entity Names.- Using #CONREF to enable External Table Processing.- Use Minimization to Keep Keyboarding Costs Down.- Using a Comment to Avoid Entity Misinterpretation.- Rendering Footnotes in Electronic Documents.- Handling ID/IDREF when Deleting Elements.- Using Nested Quotes.- Three “Views” in one Branching DTD.- Using Titles in Subordinate Elements.- Use #CURRENT Attribute for Ease of Entry.- Using Attributes to Specify Semantic Information.- Creating a Conditional Processing Language with SGML.- Appendices.- Appendix 1 / Case Study: RIA TIGRE System.- Background.- Issues Faced by RIA.- Enabling Technologies Employed.- System Components.- Critical System Features.- Seamless Access.- Conflicting Concurrent Structures.- Access by Element and Physical Views, and Ranges of Each.- Master Databases.- Batch Composition.- Workflow and Work-in-progress.- SGML-smart Editing.- Successes and Difficulties.- Critical Success Factors.- Appendix 2 / Case Study: Kodak Technical Information Documentation.- Background.- Scope and Goals.- The Project.- Future.- Appendix 3 / Case Study; Douglas Aircraft Company.- The Need for SGML at Douglas Aircraft.- Meeting Modern ATA Requirements.- Improve Customer Satisfaction.- Improve Customer Satisfaction.- Accomplishments To Date.- Requirements Gathering.- System Architecture and Design.- Proof-of-Concept System.- Implementation of Production Service Bulletin System.- Lessons Learned.- Future.- Summary.- Appendix 4 / Colophon: How this Book was Produced.- Data Gathering.- Initial Authoring.- SGML Conversion.- SGML Production.- Ventura Publisher Used for Output.- Tables.- Graphics.- Valid SGML Examples.- World Wide Web Access.- Text as Data.- Production Credits.- Appendix 5 / Brian and Dale’s Excellent DTD.- Appendix 6 / Fully Commented SGML Declaration.- Default SGML Declaration.- Fully Defined SGML Declaration.- Appendix 7 / Glossary of Terms and Acronyms.- Appendix 8 / SGML Resources.- Parsers.- Editors.- Document Modeling Tools.- Browsers.- Translators.- Formatters/Paginators.- Data Management Systems.- World Wide Web Applications.- Workflow Products.- Consulting Services.- Conversion Services.- Periodicals.- User Community.- Standards Publications.- Conferences.- Organizations.- Publications.- Seminars.- Miscellany.- Appendix 9 / Addresses of SGML Companies.- Appendix 10/Index.

This book gives you the tools needed to get implementation started and provides help in every step of the process, from the business case, through data migration to application development and training. There is also a technical appendix covering the SGML standard and what is necessary to write SGML applications. This book contains years of practical experience by the authors. The reader will get up-to-speed very quickly,and will be able to build the business case and implement an SGML system in his organization.