Re: DTD - any info about them

[Dan Emory <danemory@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Originally posted on the TECHWR-L list.
Cross-posted to the FrameSGML and Free Framers lists.
=========================================
At 03:11 PM 6/29/00 +0100, Deborah Garcia-Tobin wrote:
>Hi all
>
>we are moving from FrameMaker to FrameMaker SGML with a view to producing
>XML.
>
>However, we know very little about producing a DTD. We have looked at
>DocBook and have had various warnings from people about it being too large,
>doesn't contain everything you'll need, a nightmare, etc.
>
>What I really want to know is how hard is it to do your own DTD?
>It is worth doing your own?
>Are there any other commercially available DTDs apart from DocBook (relevant
>to software industry)?
>Should you use a well know DTD or is your own customized one better?
>Any good books that might tell me what I need to know if I write my own?
===================================================
I have a paper entitled "FrameMaker+SGML Information Design" that should
be of help. It's available as a PDF file at:

http://www.microtype.com/

When the home page comes up, click the Resources link in the left frame.
Under Resources, scroll down to Links to Other Resources. You'll find
5 or 6 papers there that I've written on various topics, one of which has
the title described above.

You will note that the document was originally created as a structured
document in FM+SGML, using an EDD of my own design. There is also
a companion DTD that was produced from this EDD.

If you're interested, I can send you an actual FM+SGML document, created
using the same EDD, that would allow you (in FM+SGML) to examine the
structural design in more detail. If that sample document whets your appetitie,
You could experiment further by:

1. Open a new empty double-sided document in FM+SGML.
2. Delete all tags/formats that are deletable from the Paragraph, Character,
Table, and Cross-Reference catalogs
3. Open the sample document.
4. With input focus in the new empty document:
         a. Choose File > Import > Formats, and import all formats
             from the sample document.
         b. Choose File > Import > Element Definitions, and import
             the element definitions from the sample document.
5. In the empty document, open the Element Catalog and the
Structure View.
6. Choose Element > Set Available Elements, and turn on
Valid Elements for Working Start to Finish.
7. In the Element Catalog, select and insert the TOP-DocFile element.
8. The element catalog will now tell you what elements are valid at the
insertion point. Start playing.


====================
| Nullius in Verba |
====================
Dan Emory, Dan Emory & Associates
FrameMaker/FrameMaker+SGML Document Design & Database Publishing
Voice/Fax: 949-722-8971 E-Mail: danemory@primenet.com
10044 Adams Ave. #208, Huntington Beach, CA 92646
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