RE: Editor that is easy to use, generates XML under the hood, and supports tables?

Hi Roger.  Thanks for expressing hopes and dreams!  8)

 

1.	Metanorma looks like an interesting tool for standards development.
I haven't tried it yet, but you might find it useful for what you are
pursuing.  

 

*	Metanorma
*	Because standards are too important to manage in Word
*	Meet Metanorma: an open-source framework for writing & publishing
standardization documents with the focus on semantic authoring and flexible
output support.
*	https://www.metanorma.org

 

Related: Enosema (have copied two of principals Ron Tse and Reese Plews).

 

*	Enosema: Bridging the semantic gap
*	The Enosema Foundation develops international standards for managing
concepts and their usage across organizations.
*	https://www.enosema.org

 

 

2.	For X3D graphics, over time we have crafted a manual authoring
process that subsequently produces corresponding machine-parsable and
validatable alternatives.

 

Authoritative reference for X3D is an ISO specification, which is manually
edited in HTML using NetBeans and then checked with HTML Tidy. I have
annotated the X3D XML schema to capture full characteristics of data
structures that are beyond default expressive power (such as transient
inputOnly and outputOnly fields).  An XSLT stylesheet then parses the
object-oriented hierarchical .xsd XML schema to produce a flat list of data
structures for each and every node and node type.  Functional descriptions
of each node and field are pulled in from a separate XML file holding
tooltips.  The resultant comprehensive X3DUOM file is then easily processed
to produce other APIs and products, such as Java Python and Turtle bindings.

 

So there is much initial custom preparation, then results are
straightforward to maintain in XML Schema and powerful products become
possible.  Details and links at

 

*	X3D Unified Object Model (X3DUOM)
*	The X3D Unified Object Model (X3DUOM) is a full set of
object-oriented interfaces for all nodes, fields and statements in the X3D
Architecture Specification.
*	https://www.web3d.org/specifications/X3DUOM.html
*
https://www.web3d.org/specifications/X3DUOM/X3dUnifiedObjectModelCreation.pn
g

 

Consolation point: maintaining work flows for authoritative designs with
directly testable results is more powerful, less time consuming, and much
less difficult than ad hoc long-term maintenance of multiple documents. 

 

YMMV of course when pursuing such goals.  Wishing best progress with your
efforts.

 

all the best, Don

-- 

Don Brutzman  Naval Postgraduate School, Code USW/Br        [email protected]

Watkins 270,  MOVES Institute, Monterey CA 93943-5000 USA    +1.831.656.2149

X3D graphics, virtual worlds, navy robotics https://faculty.nps.edu/brutzman

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Roger L Costello <[email protected]> 
Sent: Saturday, May 27, 2023 8:33 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [xml-dev] Editor that is easy to use, generates XML under the hood,
and supports tables?

 

Hi Folks,

 

Okay, I convinced my sponsor that specifications should be written in a way
that they can be processed by software. More specifically, I convinced my
sponsor that, under the hood, specifications should be in an XML format. My
sponsor said, "Okay, fine .... provided, (1) there is a non-geeky editor
that is easy for the specification writer to use, (2) the specification
writer is unaware that the editor is generating XML under the hood, and (3)
the generated XML is easy to understand. One more thing, (4) the editor MUST
support tables."

 

Peter Flynn wrote:

 

> That is a sort of holy grail: that users will be able to create and 

> maintain their document in meaningful XML without knowing they are 

> doing it.

 

Eek!

 

Did I mislead my sponsor by recommending that specifications be written in a
way that can be processed by software?

 

/Roger

 

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