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Re: xml2rfc is OK ( was: Re: XML2RFC must die, was: Re: Two different threads - IETF Document Format)

2009-07-06 06:45:34
On Mon Jul  6 08:46:24 2009, Julian Reschke wrote:
Also, we should keep in mind that xml2rfc can refer both to a specific XML vocabulary, and a set of tools.

The vocabulary is relatively straightforward, and has been extended by both MTR and others. At some point of time, we may want to work on a revision of it (that is, RFC 2629).


The vocabulary is basically sound. I sympathize with Iljitsch wanting finer control over the rendering of his name, which would need to be addressed here.

If a GUI WYSIWYG tool got created, I'd probably use it. If someone created an import filter for some word processor or another, I might use it, but I generally don't get on with word processors anymore. (I had an argument with one a few years ago, we never made up).


With respect to the tools: I usually do not worry about xml2rfc.tcl (the processor) until I need to submit something. Instead, I make sure that my source validates (against the DTD), and instead focus on content, and just review the HTML output, as produced by rfc2629.xslt. The latter works on any machine that has support for XSLT, such as any that can run IE6, Firefox 2, Opera 9, or Safari 3. And no, you don't need a browser to run the XSLT, just install xsltproc or Saxon.


I do much the same, although because the document is in XML, I use a slightly extended format to include annotations to support finer reference handling and checking, which I scribbled some time back in XSLT. It gives me an extra stage to my processing, and annoys co-authors, but produces documents I know have the right references in the right sections.

XML purists will probably wail and gnash teeth, since I replaced the inclusion handling very early on with something probably even worse than the include PI, but that's the joy of XML.

Finally, regarding local installations of xml2rfc.tcl: at least on Windows, just install Cygwin, make sure TCL is included in the install, and it will work just fine.

There are also online versions, which eliminate the need to install it at all if you've got bandwidth.

I'm quite sure that both the file format and toolset could improve, but I thinks it's a very reasonable way of processing drafts as it is, and I've be very happy if it were eventually the only way.

FWIW, I suspect that the way I'm doing things - with an initial format and using the RFC 2629 format as an intermediate one - is probably the rough shape of things to come.

Dave.
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