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tom wrote:
I think that proves the point. HTML was screwed, therefore all presentation in that media is flawed. You have to hack the data content to allow for presentation rules. Not only that, you have to hack it in different ways to suit different presentation media (eg. IE6,7,8 FF etc.). The result is almost useless data.HTML will do - someone will find a way to screw up XML the way HTML was screwed - OH they have: OOXML!Anyway. What we all should be using for all documentation is XML - in the form of DocBook. That way the end user can decide exactly how they wish to the view the document whether it be DOC, ODF, PDF, HTML, Postscript or any of the whackey e-reader botch-ups. Content should be completely divorsed from presentation until the point of delivery.Tom te tom te tom
XML is not a presentation system, it's a data description system. You make up your own XML rules to suit your application (ie. DocBook DTD/Schema) and you must adhere to those rules or your rendering will fail. You're tied into defining your data tightly and therefore correctly. If your data is correct, it will flow into whatever presentation media you choose.
Ultimately It's not the OOXML XML that's screwed (after all it's just a descripion of how your data should be formatted), it's the presentation and creation media (MS Office) that's the problem. Granted, OOXML is a mess, but if you don't like that use DocBook or DITA.
If PDF is not what you want, then go back to the raw data. If it was XML, you can transform in into what YOU want. Anything else and you have to recreate it manually.
Martin -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/linux_adm/list-faq.html