Re: [StrongED] Re: StrongED Instructions

[Steve Fryatt <lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 18 Dec, "Richard Torrens (lists)" wrote in message
    <56ac5e5e10Lists@xxxxxxxxxxx>:

> In article <e59a03e2064d10a2149f502b911e844c@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
>    Jeremy Nicoll - ml sed <jn.ml.sed45@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> > For example, you might want (in the final documents) to format a
> > keyboard shortcut in a particular way.  If you were preparing the
> > document in HTML you'd enter it (perhaps using HTML entities) and
> > surround it with the HTML tags that tell a browser how to display it.
> 
> > But in XML you'd simply surround it with, say:
> 
> >    <SEshortcut>Ctrl-D</SEshortcut>
> 
> How is that easier than <span class="shortcut">Ctrl-D</span>

It isn't, but it is a *LOT* easier for an off-the-shelf XML parser (such as
the ones which come with Perl) to read it all in, ready to be formatted up
automatically and spat back out as HTML, StrongHelp, plain ASCII text, DDL
format for Ovation, DDF format for Impression, or whatever takes your fancy
in the future.

That's the whole point of using XML for the base document: it makes this
whole question of "which format should we use" irrelevant, as the format can
be changed without having to re-edit the whole manual.

Ultimately, it's future-proofing the work that you're doing.

-- 
Steve Fryatt - Leeds, England

http://www.stevefryatt.org.uk/

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