harmo@cc.helsinki.fi (Timo Harmo, Fac. of Soc. Sci., U of Helsinki) (11/08/90)
Are there any programs to convert sgml-marked text into some decent hypertext-system? I have a fairly extensively cross-referenced and indexed text of 200 pages written using Latex, and I'll like to build a hypertext system (preferably for PC's) out of it. I heard that the conversion from latex to smgl wouldn't be too difficult (?). A friend claimed that sgml will be very important in the hypertext-arena. Is that so? I dont know anything about sgml but am interested in hypertext, so I'd like to know if sgml is something I should learn about. -Timo Harmo
lark@tivoli.UUCP (Lar Kaufman) (11/09/90)
In article <3967.27396cba@cc.helsinki.fi> harmo@cc.helsinki.fi (Timo Harmo, Fac. of Soc. Sci., U of Helsinki) writes: >Are there any programs to convert sgml-marked text into some decent >hypertext-system? I have a fairly extensively cross-referenced and indexed >text of 200 pages written using Latex, and I'll like to build a hypertext >system (preferably for PC's) out of it. I heard that the conversion from latex >to smgl wouldn't be too difficult (?). > >A friend claimed that sgml will be very important in the hypertext-arena. >Is that so? I dont know anything about sgml but am interested in hypertext, so >I'd like to know if sgml is something I should learn about. > -Timo Harmo I guess I can address this briefly and also some earlier queries about SMDL... Unquestionably, SGML will be a key standard in the development of hypertext, and beyond that, of hypermedia and interactive hypermedia (polymedia). That is because of the context-free information tagging system, primarily. Adding impetus to the development of SGML for hypertext is the U.S. Government's "paperless Pentagon" concept, CALS (the exact translation of the acronym escapes me at the moment, so I'll leave that to someone else). CALS adds definitions for file systems, graphics formats (vector and bitmap) and the like, using established standards. The SGML standard implicitly supports ISO graphic standards and is deliberately extensible to support future needs in this area. The author of SGML, Charles Goldfarb, continues to guide development beyond basic SGML. The X3V1.8M Committee of ANSI is developing the SMDL (Standard Music Description Language) as an extension of SGML, and also HyTime (Hypermedia/Time-based Structuring Language), another extension. These standards are ANSI projects X3.542-D and X3.749-D respectively. I'm not aware of commercial products that are available to implement either of these extensions yet, although a plethora of SGML tools are appearing on the market now, and a number of older publishing systems are incorporating SGML features or compatibility, including FrameMaker and Interleaf. I'm afraid that TeX is unlikely to be a major part in the development of SGML products, although it is easy enough to develop tools to convert SGML into TeX, Scribe, troff, or whatever scripting language you like. The reverse translation is difficult because of the contextual tagging that normally occurs in these languages. This is the same limiting factor in developing generic hypermedia tools using RFT/DCA formatting. Getting LaTeX and especially man pages into SGML is much easier because most of the tags are structural tags. If you are serious about SGML, you might want to go ahead and move beyond TeX platforms to tools that are better positioned for SGML development, such as IBM's BookMaster/BookManager (VM systems) and SGML TextWrite (OS/2?), SoftQuad's Author/Editor (Macintosh and soon Unix), or FrameMaker (Unix, Macintosh, and NeXT). I'm disappointed to say that MS Dos-based tools are still lacking, but I have hopes that all popular U.S. word processor vendors will adopt SGML support. The U.S. government's requirements for these capabilities are a powerful incentive to provide the capability. -lar (apprentice infotect)
bernhold@qtp.ufl.edu (David E. Bernholdt) (11/09/90)
In article <174@tivoli.UUCP> lark@tivoli.UUCP (Lar Kaufman) writes: >... a number of older publishing systems are incorporating >SGML features or compatibility, including FrameMaker and Interleaf. >If you are serious about SGML, you might want to go ahead and move beyond TeX >platforms to tools that are better positioned for SGML development, such as >IBM's BookMaster/BookManager (VM systems) and SGML TextWrite (OS/2?), SoftQuad's >Author/Editor (Macintosh and soon Unix), or FrameMaker (Unix, Macintosh, and >NeXT). You should add the Publisher from Arbortext to the list of SGML-based tools. They have been using SGML from the start -- not just adding it now. It uses TeX as a formatting engine and includes filters to convert between SGML and LaTeX. It is available for Sun, HP, Appollo, and possibly other platforms by now. We have had Publisher since it was released & have been quite happy with it. -- David Bernholdt bernhold@qtp.ufl.edu Quantum Theory Project bernhold@ufpine.bitnet University of Florida Gainesville, FL 32611 904/392 6365
lark@tivoli.UUCP (Lar Kaufman) (11/10/90)
In article <1178@orange19.qtp.ufl.edu> bernhold@orange19 (David E. Bernholdt) writes: >You should add the Publisher from Arbortext to the list of SGML-based >tools. They have been using SGML from the start -- not just adding it Now you tell me... I could have used this info several weeks ago. I was aware of earlier incarnations of Publisher that did not have (I think) SGML support... Last time I checked was early 1987, I think. Well, I do have some LaTeX documents to get into FrameMaker format, so I'll see what Arbortext can do for me. I should be able to do LaTeX -> Publisher -> Framemaker pretty easily, then. -lar Thanks for the tip! -- --------- TIVOLI Systems, Inc. Lar Kaufman 512-454-3301 (voice) 512-329-2455 4503 Sinclair Avenue (fax) 512-329-2755 Austin, Texas 78756 USA (e) lark@tivoli.com