Re: DOCBOOK-APPS: SGML vs XML

[Trevor Jenkins <trevor dot jenkins at suneidesis dot com>]

On Wed, 3 Jul 2002, fyl2xp1 <vnhu38f93@subdimension.com> wrote:

> My advantages and disadvantages to going XML are as follows:
> [Note, this is XML and SGML primarily in the context of DocBook]

There are "features" of SGML that have not been incorporated into XML. The
one I miss most and that keeps me using SGML is INCLUDE/IGNORE marked
sectons. Especially as the status keyword can be the replacement of an
entity reference. Although there are techniques for achieving this with
XML (by hacking XSLT code to evaluate element attribtues) I believe that
the SGML feature is safer and preferable. It is clear in the SGML document
instance what will/wont be processed; there is no such clarity with an XML
document instance.

I also have a liking for the & operator in content models. It's absence in
XML makes for some contorted content models. Likewise inclusions and
exclusions. These SGML "features" make for an economy of expression that
XML makes verbose.

My current documentation project cals for delivery in XML. However, I
treat this as a final form much like PDF or Word format. The master
version is SGML using many of the missing things. First stage of delivery
is to use openjade to create the XML parallel.

Regards, Trevor

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