On Tue, 27 May 2003 10:48:53 +1000, Steve Hudson wrote: >Dear Tony, > >some excellent points here, a few very close to my heart. > >1) Agreed, and nice howevers. > >2) Totally agreed, I have been raving about, and pushing= developers >for ages, providing some gorgeous XML tools that build DTDs from= a >simple GUI (hand tweak if you want finesse, most of us want= simple, >repeatable stuff). Standard XSLTs could also be built - and= even >integrated into the provided toolset. A simple example, the= HATT >systems could have a dropdown with audiences listed that would >change the provided content. Skins could be modified on the fly= for >those people with visual difficulties and so on. <Rave mode >detected, autoshutdown commencing in 3 words. Three, two one. >CARRIER DROPPED> > >3) Something addressable by said tools in 2). Problem is, most >developers are waiting for MS to take a direction :-( After= all, >they are the boys with the big bucks right? And whoever= develops >these tools will sure as shit see MS rip them off. Not good.= Time >for another HotDog I think, the current organisations seem too >complacent and cautious. I might have to start looking further >afield into hackerdom <shudders>. Man, if you want to <Rave= mode >detected, autoshutdown commencing in 3 words. Three, two one. >CARRIER DROPPED> > I'd like to drop in here, and agree with Tony that in fact,= there is at least XML Spy, which is a very valuable tool already. I forked out the $s for it, and haven't regretted them (albeit cursing for a while with some update installation problems). XML without a DTD and you need to define one ? Generate a DTD. [Better check and correct and generalise later -- it tends to assume all values assigned are in an enumerated list. This is a suitably conservative approach which usually needs to be overridden with more general specs] XML data and you want XHTML via XSLT ? Set up a data file and an HTML template, drag, drop and style elements, and the XSLT emerges. Want to look at structures without the detail of the code ? Switch to enhanced grid mode, with "outlining" aspects and expandable element views etc.. Just those three things have saved me hours and brought brownie points for an old tech writer who shouldn't know about these things... And there are other tools around now for some web design which look just as exciting. Docbook and DITA may be difficult paths, but maybe not quite as difficult as some would have you think. -Peter G. Martin, Technical writer, Proxima Technology ************************************************** To post a message to austechwriter, send the message to austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx To subscribe to austechwriter, send a message to austechwriter-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "subscribe" in the Subject field. To unsubscribe, send a message to austechwriter-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with "unsubscribe" in the Subject field. To search the austechwriter archives, go to www.freelist.org/archives/austechwriter To contact the list administrator, send a message to austechwriter-admins@xxxxxxxxxxxxx **************************************************