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Fwd: [xsl] where to look for xsl folk..

2016-06-20 14:48:28
Hi Adam,

As has been mentioned, there are probably a number of XSLT and
non-XSLT approaches to the problem of supporting a workflow such as
you describe.

Not to be forgotten also are commercial tools -- I am thinking of
Inera's eXtyles (Word->JATS or other XML -- oh Ken just mentioned it)
or a Word add-on from ICTect or any number of semi-proprietary or
semi-academic projects such as OxGarage
http://www.tei-c.org/oxgarage/. Also startups like https://science.ai
who are trying alternative approaches to data capture and conversion.
(And commercial vendors who actually do the conversion for you.)

Building the capability standalone on an XSLT stack, as an XSLT
developer, I'd probably recommend going straight to some sort of
"clean" descriptive XML before pushing out any kind of HTML. It would
make the latter job much easier, and it would foreground problems and
issues that would have to be faced at some point in any case. (Of
course this is with all other things being equal! and I know nothing
about your actual project. :-)

This is partly because, while people nowadays tend to think of HTML as
'vanilla' due to its ubiquity and supposed simplicity, something like
JATS is far more 'vanilla' than HTML, which is comparatively (to
continue the ice cream analogy) a kind of Rocky Road. It's got
something of everything in it, making it somewhat hard to convert to
anything else. All you have to do is compare HTML from two sources (oh
-- *with* the CSS since the semantics are often hidden there) and
measure the differences, vs. the differences between two sources
emitting JATS or DITA, to see what I mean. It's not that any single
case of HTML is so difficult but rather that the second case is as
hard as the first one. (Or, if you like, there is much more noise and
sometimes the signal you need isn't even there.)

If your HTML isn't just randomized HTML-stuff but actually 'clean' and
'controlled' HTML - well it might as well be XML for practical
purposes. That is, there's no advantage to HTML if semi-randomizing
your tagging is a bug not a feature.

Just my $0.02 -- although it's not unrelated to the staffing issue,
since you say you want an XSLT person. :-) Designing, building and
supporting an upconversion pathway is a job. So also is riding herd on
a bunch of HTML, trying to make sure it stays in line.

Cheers, Wendell


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: adam adam@coko.foundation 
<xsl-list-service(_at_)lists(_dot_)mulberrytech(_dot_)com>
Date: Sun, Jun 19, 2016 at 5:18 PM
Subject: Re: [xsl] where to look for xsl folk..
To: xsl-list(_at_)lists(_dot_)mulberrytech(_dot_)com


hey Wendell

Many thanks for your reply.

We are working with docx files that need to be translated into HTML. The
docx files are chapters of scholarly content that constitute a book. We
need to translate the docx into a tidy HTML version with direct
translation of semantic elements but with the elimination of styles.

Later I would hope we could do a number of things:
1. use this baseline conversion stylesheet on scientific articles (this
includes addressing math, tables, and figures)
2. write a parser to evaluate a document and try and re-structure it
according to the *intended* semantics of the author (the best way to do
this tbd).

We will have a need for XML down the line (both docx->JATS and
htnml->JATS) but not right now...

Let me know if you can recommend anyone. We would like to get cracking
on it! ;) I'm happy to set up a call with you or whoever you know that
might be of interest..

Many thanks again for your reply. Much appreciated.

adam


On 06/10/2016 09:04 AM, Wendell Piez wapiez(_at_)wendellpiez(_dot_)com wrote:
Hi Adam,

Due to prior commitments into the summer, I am not available full
time, but I might know someone who could help you if you can tell me
more. Feel free to look at my web site http://wendellpiez.com to see
my own background.

As you perform your search, what I expect you will find is that XMLers
often end up very "tribal", i.e. TEI, DITA, JATS/BITS, various
vertical domains, etc. etc. all end up with their own specialists who
don't necessarily know other XMLers outside their clan. Plus, XSLT
people surprisingly don't know XQuery people, and vice versa, etc.
etc.

With this in mind, it would be interesting to know your position
vis-a-vis questions of formats and XML standards -- e.g. if you expect
to be working a lot with JATS/BITS, there is a JATS mailing list to
which you might be directed.

Regards, Wendell


On Thu, Jun 9, 2016 at 11:24 AM, adam adam@coko.foundation
<xsl-list-service(_at_)lists(_dot_)mulberrytech(_dot_)com> wrote:
hey

Im looking for a fulltime xsl person to bring in to a open source/open
science not for profit...any recommendations of where to look?

many thanks,

Adam


--

---
Adam Hyde
http://www.adamhyde.net/projects




--

---
Adam Hyde
http://www.adamhyde.net/projects



-- 
Wendell Piez | http://www.wendellpiez.com
XML | XSLT | electronic publishing
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