Re: DOCBOOK-APPS: best tool for docbook?

[Bob Stayton <bobs at caldera dot com>]

> klaas holwerda wrote:
> 
> -what is the best XML editor around that has some direct implementation

I use XMetal from SoftQuad.  It provides a graphical
interface with text formatted for the screen, so it
is similar to using a word processor (and similar to
ArborText).

It runs only under Windows, but I'm currently running my
Windows 98 under VMware on a Linux machine.  VMware lets me
network the drives between the two OSs, and I can cut and
paste text, so it is almost like having a graphical Linux
XML editor.  8^)
Neither product is free.

XMetal doesn't come with DocBook support, but it isn't
hard to add.  The DTD will work directly, or you can
compile it with their DTD compiler.  The hardest
part is setting up the CSS stylesheet to format for
the screen.  If you are familiar with CSS, that's just
a tedious task, given the number of DocBook tags
(not all of which need to be styled, really).
They provide a graphical style manager also.
You'll also need to set a few customization rules
so literallayout and program listings are recognized,
so their lines aren't rewrapped (a disaster you
very much want to avoid).  I'd be willing to
share what I've got.  I think SoftQuad is missing the boat
by not providing such basic DocBook support with
the product.  

bobs
Bob Stayton                                 400 Encinal Street
Publications Architect                      Santa Cruz, CA  95060
Technical Publications                      voice: (831) 427-7796
Caldera International, Inc.                 fax:   (831) 429-1887
                                            email: bobs@caldera.com

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