Re: Please stop writing specifications that cannot be parsed/processed by software

> For example, the XPath function library is defined in an XML document
> that contains all the function signatures in a custom vocabulary
> reflecting the object model for XPath functions, and that data is
extremely useful;
> it can be used for example to create the data used by a type-checker.
> I'm sure there are cases where an XML format can be standardised
> across a wide range of specifications (for example, a format for defining
BNF grammars)
> but I'm sure that highly specialised custom formats also have a role to
play.
>
> Of course in our own community we're very prepared to eat our own dogfood
in this way. Getting people to use a similar approach when they're writing
safety standards for industrial
> washing machines is a different kettle of fish. Those guys just click on
the word processor icon and start typing.

To this day I have been often wondering where to find the XML Schema for
this type of document. Or is it a secret?

A reference to this and a few examples will be greatly appreciated.

For me, using such "hi-tech" language in order to specify what you want to
say and be understood, has always seemed an unwanted and unnecessary
obstacle in the specification-creation process -- one that stifles the
author and digresses him elsewhere -- not where the focus of the main topic
is.

I envy GitHub authors who only have to use MD, and can easily produce
stunning documents.

If someone needs so much strict structure, please use ChatGPT or iXML --
but please, behind the scenes, where these do belong.

Thanks,
Dimitre

On Thu, May 25, 2023 at 5:03 PM Michael Kay <[email protected]> wrote:

> >no-one has to invent something new to get what you are asking for
>
> But if you're prepared to invent something new then you can probably do
> better...
>
> For example, the XPath function library is defined in an XML document that
> contains all the function signatures in a custom vocabulary reflecting the
> object model for XPath functions, and that data is extremely useful; it can
> be used for example to create the data used by a type-checker. I'm sure
> there are cases where an XML format can be standardised across a wide range
> of specifications (for example, a format for defining BNF grammars) but I'm
> sure that highly specialised custom formats also have a role to play.
>
> Of course in our own community we're very prepared to eat our own dogfood
> in this way. Getting people to use a similar approach when they're writing
> safety standards for industrial washing machines is a different kettle of
> fish. Those guys just click on the word processor icon and start typing.
>
> Michael Kay
> Saxonica
>
>
>
> > On 26 May 2023, at 00:20, G. Ken Holman <[email protected]>
> wrote:
> >
> > Roger, already standards from ISO and CEN are being published in NISO
> STS XML:
> >
> > https://www.niso-sts.org/
> >
> > And there some SDOs (Standards Development Organizations) that are
> building requirements into their STS XML so they can be harvested
> downstream after publishing by requirements management software tracking,
> for example, "may", "shall", "should", etc.:
> >
> > https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK556169/#holman-semantics2
> >
> > I commend that paper I wrote regarding the identification of semantics
> (say, of requirements) in standards content.
> >
> > I've co-founded a company in Ireland that is servicing the standards
> development community of SDOs with software that is publishing these
> richly-encoded XML documents into PDF, HTML, and DOCX:
> >
> > https://RealtaOnline.com
> >
> > Moreover, SDOs are looking to us to enrich their XML and we are
> experimenting with AI in this regard. Exciting stuff.
> >
> > I'm delivering a presentation at JATS-Con 2023 you may wish to attend to
> learn more about how Réalta Online is using standards such as XSLT and
> XSL-FO to enrich and publish standards with fidelity across output products:
> >
> > https://jats.nlm.nih.gov/jats-con/2023/schedule2023a.html#1-1145
> >
> > So I think all that is needed is an awareness campaign to make standards
> writers and SDOs aware that the technology exists already. We don't have to
> wait to be able to do what it is you are asking. It just has to be done
> with the tools at hand.
> >
> > And not just for ISO and CEN standards. Hundreds of SDOs exist out there
> publishing thousands of standards documents. Please spread the word about
> NISO STS XML and the leverage they can get by adopting something that
> exists ... no-one has to invent something new to get what you are asking
> for.
> >
> > I hope this is helpful.
> >
> > . . . . . . . Ken
> >
> > At 2023-05-25 19:57 +0000, Roger L Costello wrote:
> >> Dear Specification Writer,
> >>
> >> Please stop writing specifications that cannot be parsed/processed by
> software. Please stop formatting your specifications as Word and PDF.
> Instead, use a format that is amenable to machine processing. The XML
> format is ideal. We want to analyze your specifications. We don't want to
> spend dozens of hours screen-scraping your Word/PDF documents.
> >>
> >> If you simply must persist in writing Word/PDF documents, then please
> write in a consistent way so that we can screen-scrape without having to
> write special case code. To illustrate, in one of your specifications you
> provide a bunch of tables with data; each table has many rows. In some
> tables you reference a note. Here's a row with a note reference:
> >>
> >> 119 Approach Route (1) Note 1 5.7
> >>
> >> Here's another row with a note reference:
> >>
> >> 52 SID Ident (1) (Note 1) 5.78
> >>
> >> Why did you embed Note 1 within parentheses in the second case but not
> the first? That's an example of not being consistent. Such inconsistencies
> make it difficult to do screen-scraping. Please be consistent. If at all
> possible, write a parser to parse the data that you embed in your
> specification. This will immediately inform you of any inconsistencies.
> >>
> >> Thank you,
> >> From the people who must read, understand, and analyze your
> specifications
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________________________________
> >>
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> >>
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> >
> >
> > --
> > Contact info, blog, articles, etc. http://www.CraneSoftwrights.com/x/ |
> > Check our site for free XML, XSLT, XSL-FO and UBL developer resources |
> > Streaming hands-on XSLT/XPath 2 training class @US$125 (5 hours free) |
> > Essays (UBL, XML, etc.) http://www.linkedin.com/today/author/gkholman |
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________________________________
> >
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> >
>
>
> _______________________________________________________________________
>
> XML-DEV is a publicly archived, unmoderated list hosted by OASIS
> to support XML implementation and development. To minimize
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>
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> Or unsubscribe: [email protected]
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>
>

-- 
Cheers,
Dimitre Novatchev
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Truly great madness cannot be achieved without significant intelligence.
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To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk
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Never fight an inanimate object
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To avoid situations in which you might make mistakes may be the
biggest mistake of all
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Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.
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You've achieved success in your field when you don't know whether what
you're doing is work or play
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To achieve the impossible dream, try going to sleep.
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Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.
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Typing monkeys will write all Shakespeare's works in 200yrs.Will they write
all patents, too? :)
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Sanity is madness put to good use.
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I finally figured out the only reason to be alive is to enjoy it.