Tech Alert!!! Authoring in XML
This is our first (but certainly not last!) CCC blog post that examines the wonderful world of XML. For many of us in the publishing industry, XML is a buzz-word that has been flying around for some time now. Keith Matthew, our Manager of Digital Services, has been working in and around XML for years and recognizes that to the average person XML can be overwhelming, particularly when you are considering authoring in it. Keith has put together a post that aims to shed some light on one way to make authoring in XML a little less intimidating. Read on for more...
Authoring in XML: It doesn’t have to be ugly
Most people experience XML in its raw text form and the tagging can be bewildering to less technical users.
Here for instance is what a typical XML document looks like in different environments:
XML-specific Editor:
Word Processor:
Suffice it to say, for those who are unfamiliar with mark-up languages the preceeding examples paint a pretty familiar but daunting picture of working in XML. Fortunately however, there are tools available that put a friendlier face on working with XML-coded content, but which still retain the benefits of structured XML content. One such tool to consider is CCC's XML-Simpicity Template system.
Here is an example of editing in XML with tag display turned off for a clean look.
CCC's XML-Simplicity Template system (tags off):
Turning tags on in the XML-Simplicity Template authoring portal shows you the tagging, but still in an accessible way.
CCC's XML-Simplicity Template system (tags on):
Normal text and word processors allow you to do WHATEVER you like, however an XML-enabled graphical editor can enforce structure while still presenting the data in a visually appealing way. What this really means is that authors and editors can work in a word processor-like environment that is familiar and intuitive, while Production departments can be assured of receiving content conforming to a structure that they themselves can define. This becomes increasingly important as Production departments are increasingly being tasked to manipulate content to create online and digital outputs.
So give visual editing a spin yourself online for free on our XML-Simplicity Template site and then please leave a comment below to let us know what you think.
Cheers,
Keith
Manager, Digital Services