Introduction to XML for
Publishers
Eric Severson
CTO, Flatirons Solutions
What’s a “Flatiron” ?
A type of golf club?
A household
implement used in
the Old West?
A delectable cut of
steak?
Something used to
curl hair?
A rock formation
overlooking Boulder,
Colorado?
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
An imposing building in
New York?
2
Introducing Flatirons Solutions

Experts in Enterprise Content Management (ECM) and XML-based
publishing solutions

Specialists in XML-based single-source publishing,
digital asset management, web content management,
and content globalization

Full lifecycle services including strategy,
architecture, design, and implementation

Clients include McGraw-Hill, Wiley,
Wolters-Kluwer, IEEE, Harcourt,
Informa, Harvard Business
School and others

Offices in Boulder, CO,
Washington, DC and
Dallas, TX

Inc. 500 company
with over 140
consultants
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
3
Objectives


Understand what XML is, and a bit about how it actually
works
Understand the benefits of XML and why it’s a key “tool
of change” for publishers

Understand where to use XML in your organization

Learn how other publishers have successfully used XML

Never again think XML is too complicated to understand
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
4
Agenda – Part 1
8:30-9:30
What Is XML and How Does It Work?





9:30-9:45
XML Application Standards



9:45-10:15
Flexibility adds complexity
Key standards for publishers
The XML family tree
How XML Benefits Publishers





10:15-10:30
eXtensible Markup Language – a little history
XML by chapter and verse
XML and content structure
XML as data
Exercise: Creating a simple XML file
Key business goals
High-quality, multi-channel output
Dynamic, flexible personalization
Powerful, laser-focused search
Compatibility with RSS and Web 2.0
15-Minute Break
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
5
Agenda – Part 2
10:30-10:45
How XML Enables Multi-Channel Publishing



10:45-11:00
How XML Lets You Monetize Existing Content


11:00-11:15


Reselling content through custom publishing
DITA vs. DocBook
Case Study: Custom publishing using XML
Moving Forward with XML


11:30-Noon
Using XML for content sharing and re-purposing
Case Study: Monetizing shared content
How XML Creates New Publishing Channels

11:15-11:30
Multiple workflows vs. multi-channel publishing
How XML gets formatted and composed
Case Study: Reselling print content on the Web
XML solutions and tools
XML project roadmap
Open Discussion / Q&A


What you’ve done with XML so far
What you’re going to do with XML in the future
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
6
What is XML,
and How Does it Work?
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
7
Introduction to XML
eXtensible
Markup
Language
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
8
XML – A Little History
Dead Sea
Scrolls
SGML as an
ISO Standard
Typewriter
XML
Illuminated
Manuscripts
3000 BC
GML
Printing
Press
Stone
Tablets
100 AD
1000 AD
1450 AD
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
HTML
“Dot”
Languages
1900 AD
1970 AD
1978 AD 1986 AD 1993 AD 1996 AD
9
XML by Chapter and Verse
NTHBGNNNGGDCRTDTHHVNSNDTHRTHTHRTHWS
WTHTFRMNDVDNDDRKNSSWSPNTHFCFTHDPNDT
HSPRTFGDWSMVNGVRTHFCFTHWTRSNDGDSDLT
THRBLGHTNDTHRWSLGHTNDGDSWTHTTHLGHTW
SGDNDGDSPRTDTHLGHTFRMTHDRKNSS
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10
XML by Chapter and Verse
INTHEBEGINNINGGODCREATEDTHEHEAVENSAND
THEEARTHTHEEARTHWASWITHOUTFORMANDVOI
DANDDARKNESSWASUPONTHEFACEOFTHEDEEP
ANDTHESPIRITOFGODWASMOVINGOVERTHEFAC
EOFTHEWATERSANDGODSAIDLETTHEREBELIGHT
ANDTHEREWASLIGHTANDGODSAWTHATTHELIGH
TWASGOODANDGODSEPARATEDTHELIGHTFROM
THEDARKNESS
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11
XML by Chapter and Verse
The Book of Genesis
Chapter 1
1In
the beginning, God created the heavens and the
earth.
2The
earth was without form and void; and darkness
was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God
was moving over the face of the waters.
3And
God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
4And
God saw that the light was good; and God
separated the light from the darkness.
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
12
XML by Chapter and Verse
.H1 The Book of Genesis
.H2 Chapter 1
.P .SUP 1In the beginning, God created the heavens and
the earth.
.P .SUP 2The earth was without form and void; and
darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit
of God was moving over the face of the waters.
.P .SUP 3And God said, “Let there be light”; and there was
light.
.P .SUP 4And God saw that the light was good; and God
separated the light from the darkness.
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
13
XML by Chapter and Verse
<Book><Chapter>
<Title> The Book of Genesis </Title>
<Verse> In the beginning, God created the heavens and
the earth. </Verse>
<Verse> The earth was without form and void; and
darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit
of God was moving over the face of the waters. </Verse>
<Verse> And God said, “Let there be light”; and there
was light. </Verse>
<Verse> And God saw that the light was good; and God
separated the light from the darkness. </Verse>
</Chapter></Book>
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14
XML and Document Structure
A “Book”
Consisting of a Title and
1 or More “Chapters”
Book
The Book of Genesis
Title
Consisting of
1 or more “Verses”
Chapter
Verse
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Verse
The earth was without form and void; and darkness was
upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving
over the face of the waters.
Verse
And God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
Verse
And God saw that the light was good; and God separated
the light from the darkness.
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
15
Document Type Definition (DTD)
A “Book”
Consisting of a Title and
1 or More “Chapters”
Consisting of
1 or more “Verses”
XML DTD for “Book”
Book (Title, Chapter+)
A Book has a Title and one or more Chapters
Chapter (Verse+)
A Chapter has one or more Verses
Title (#CDATA)
A Title consists of Text (Character Data)
Verse (#CDATA)
A Verse consists of Text (Character Data)
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
16
A More Complex DTD
XML DTD for “Book”
Book (Title, FrontMatter?, Part+, Appendix*,
BackMatter?
A Book has a Title, optional Front Matter, one or more
Parts, and optional appendices followed by optional
Back Matter
FrontMatter (TOC, TableList?, FigureList?,
Dedication?, Preface?)
Front Matter must include a Table of Contents, with
optional List of Tables, List of Figures, Dedication
and/or Preface in that order
Part (Title?, Chapter+)
A Part has one or more Chapters
Chapter (Title?, (Paragraph | List | Quote |
Table | Figure)*)
A Chapter has an optional Title, followed by
paragraphs, lists, quotes, tables and/or figures in any
order
Appendix (Title?, (Paragraph | List | Quote |
Table | Figure)*)
The same applies to an Appendix
BackMatter (Index | Glossary)*
Back Matter consists of an optional Index and/or
Glossary in any order
Etc.
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
17
An XML File
XML DTD for “Book”
<Book>
Book (Title, FrontMatter?, Part+, Appendix*,
BackMatter?)
<Title> A Tale of Two Cities
</Title>
FrontMatter (TOC, TableList?, FigureList?,
Dedication?, Preface?)
<Chapter>
Part (Title?, Chapter+)
Chapter (Title?, (Paragraph | List | Quote |
Table | Figure)*)
<Paragraph> It was the best
of times, it was the worst of
times, it was the age of
wisdom, it was the age of
foolishness...
Appendix (Title?, (Paragraph | List | Quote |
Table | Figure)*)
</Paragraph>
BackMatter (Index | Glossary)*
</Chapter>
Etc.
</Book>
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
18
XML Attributes
A Book is not just made up of content.
It also has “metadata” – such as an
author, a publisher, an ISBN number, and
a publication date.
This information
can be expressed
using XML
“attributes”
<book author=“Charles Dickens” publisher=“Bantam” isbn=“0553-21176-5” date=“2003”>
<book>
Or alternatively as
separate XML
elements
<author> Charles Dickens </author>
<publisher> Bantam </publisher>
<isbn> 0-553-21176-5 </isbn>
<date> 2003 </date>
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
19
XML as Data
Eric Severson, CTO
Flatirons Solutions
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
Joe’s Hot Deals
20
HTML: Just for Formatting
<HTML>
<HEAD><TITLE> E-Invoice </TITLE></HEAD>
<BODY>
<H1> Automobile E-Invoice </H1>
<H2> Purchaser: </H2>
Eric Severson, CTO <BR>
Flatirons Solutions
<H2> Item Purchased: </H2>
1997 Black Jeep Wrangler <BR>
Purchase Date: 7/1/96 <BR>
Purchase Price: $20,000
</BODY></HTML>
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
21
With XML, Documents are Data
<E-Invoice Dealer=“Joe’s Hot Deals”>
<Purchaser>
<Name> Eric Severson </Name>
<Title> CTO </Title>
<Company> Flatirons Solutions </Company> </Purchaser>
<Item> <Car>
<Year> 1997 </Year>
<Color> Black </Color>
<Make> Jeep </Make>
<Model> Wrangler </Model> </Car>
<Date> 7/1/96 </Date>
<Price> $20,000 </Price> </Item> </E-Invoice>
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
22
Relational Data in XML Form
Item Record
Name
Jeep
Quantity
1
Price
20,000.00
<Item>
<Name> Jeep </Name>
<Quantity> 1 </Quantity>
<Price> 20,000.00 </Price>
</Item>
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
23
Text in “Semi-structured” XML Form
Brake Check
Try stopping the
car at high speed.
If it stops, then the
brakes work. If
not, you’re in big
trouble.
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
<Diagnostic>
<Title> Brake Check </Title>
<Test> Try stopping the car
at high speed. </Test>
<Result> If it stops,then the
brakes work. If not, you’re
in big trouble. </Result>
</Diagnostic>
24
Data Items Floating Within Text
Brake Repair
When repairing
the brakes, start
by locating part
ABC123 which
will be used to
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
<Repair>
<Title> Brake Repair </Title>
<Procedure> When repairing
the brakes, start by locating
part <Part> ABC123 </Part>
which will be used to
25
Exercise:
Creating a Simple XML File
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
26
Example Content
Chapter 1
My Trip to the Zoo
Yesterday I went to the zoo
and saw three animals:
 An elephant
 A lion
 A giraffe
Figure 1. The elephant I saw.
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
27
Example DTD
Chapter 1
A
Chapter (title, (paragraph | list | figure)*)
B
List (item+)
C
Figure (graphic, caption?)
My Trip to the Zoo
Yesterday I went to the zoo
and saw three animals:
A
A chapter must have a title, followed by any
number of paragraphs, lists, or figures, in
any order.
B
A list consists of one or more items.
C
A figure consists of a graphic plus an
optional caption.
 An elephant
 A lion
 A giraffe
Figure 1. The elephant I saw.
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
28
Creating the XML File
Chapter number
is automatically
generated.
Chapter (title, (paragraph | list | figure)*)
List (item+)
Chapter 1
My Trip to the Zoo
Figure (graphic, caption?)
<chapter>
Yesterday I went to the zoo
and saw three animals:
 An elephant
</chapter>
 A lion
 A giraffe
Figure 1. The elephant I saw.
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
29
Creating the XML File
Chapter (title, (paragraph | list | figure)*)
List (item+)
Chapter 1
My Trip to the Zoo
Figure (graphic, caption?)
<chapter>
<title> My Trip to the Zoo </title>
Yesterday I went to the zoo
and saw three animals:
 An elephant
</chapter>
 A lion
 A giraffe
Figure 1. The elephant I saw.
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
30
Creating the XML File
Chapter (title, (paragraph | list | figure)*)
List (item+)
Chapter 1
My Trip to the Zoo
Figure (graphic, caption?)
<chapter>
<title> My Trip to the Zoo </title>
Yesterday I went to the zoo
and saw three animals:
<paragraph> Yesterday I went to the zoo and saw three
animals: </paragraph>
 An elephant
 A lion
</chapter>
 A giraffe
Figure 1. The elephant I saw.
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
31
Creating the XML File
Chapter (title, (paragraph | list | figure)*)
List (item+)
Chapter 1
Figure (graphic, caption?)
My Trip to the Zoo
<chapter>
<title> My Trip to the Zoo </title>
Yesterday I went to the zoo
and saw three animals:
 An elephant
 A lion
Bullets are
automatically
generated.
 A giraffe
<paragraph> Yesterday I went to the zoo and saw three
animals: </paragraph>
<list type=“bullet” >
</list>
</chapter>
Figure 1. The elephant I saw.
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
32
Creating the XML File
Chapter (title, (paragraph | list | figure)*)
List (item+)
Chapter 1
My Trip to the Zoo
Figure (graphic, caption?)
<chapter>
<title> My Trip to the Zoo </title>
Yesterday I went to the zoo
and saw three animals:
<paragraph> Yesterday I went to the zoo and saw three
animals: </paragraph>
 An elephant
<list type=“bullet” >
 A lion
<item> An elephant </item>
 A giraffe
</list>
</chapter>
Figure 1. The elephant I saw.
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
33
Creating the XML File
Chapter (title, (paragraph | list | figure)*)
List (item+)
Chapter 1
My Trip to the Zoo
Figure (graphic, caption?)
<chapter>
<title> My Trip to the Zoo </title>
Yesterday I went to the zoo
and saw three animals:
<paragraph> Yesterday I went to the zoo and saw three
animals: </paragraph>
 An elephant
<list type=“bullet” >
 A lion
<item> An elephant </item>
 A giraffe
<item> A lion </item>
</list>
</chapter>
Figure 1. The elephant I saw.
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
34
Creating the XML File
Chapter (title, (paragraph | list | figure)*)
List (item+)
Chapter 1
My Trip to the Zoo
Figure (graphic, caption?)
<chapter>
<title> My Trip to the Zoo </title>
Yesterday I went to the zoo
and saw three animals:
<paragraph> Yesterday I went to the zoo and saw three
animals: </paragraph>
 An elephant
<list type=“bullet” >
 A lion
<item> An elephant </item>
 A giraffe
<item> A lion </item>
<item> A giraffe </item>
</list>
</chapter>
Figure 1. The elephant I saw.
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
35
Creating the XML File
Chapter (title, (paragraph | list | figure)*)
List (item+)
Chapter 1
My Trip to the Zoo
Figure (graphic, caption?)
<chapter>
<title> My Trip to the Zoo </title>
Yesterday I went to the zoo
and saw three animals:
<paragraph> Yesterday I went to the zoo and saw three
animals: </paragraph>
 An elephant
<list type=“bullet” >
 A lion
<item> An elephant </item>
 A giraffe
<item> A lion </item>
<item> A giraffe </item>
</list>
<figure>
</figure>
Figure 1. The elephant I saw.
The figure number is
automatically
generated.
</chapter>
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
36
Creating the XML File
Chapter (title, (paragraph | list | figure)*)
List (item+)
Chapter 1
My Trip to the Zoo
Figure (graphic, caption?)
<chapter>
<title> My Trip to the Zoo </title>
Yesterday I went to the zoo
and saw three animals:
<paragraph> Yesterday I went to the zoo and saw three
animals: </paragraph>
 An elephant
<list type=“bullet” >
 A lion
<item> An elephant </item>
 A giraffe
<item> A lion </item>
<item> A giraffe </item>
</list>
<figure>
<graphic ref=“elephant.jpg” >
</figure>
Figure 1. The elephant I saw.
</chapter>
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
37
Creating the XML File
Chapter (title, (paragraph | list | figure)*)
List (item+)
Chapter 1
My Trip to the Zoo
Figure (graphic, caption?)
<chapter>
<title> My Trip to the Zoo </title>
Yesterday I went to the zoo
and saw three animals:
<paragraph> Yesterday I went to the zoo and saw three
animals: </paragraph>
 An elephant
<list type=“bullet” >
 A lion
<item> An elephant </item>
 A giraffe
<item> A lion </item>
<item> A giraffe </item>
</list>
<figure>
<graphic ref=“elephant.jpg” >
<caption> The elephant I saw. </caption>
Figure 1. The elephant I saw.
</figure>
</chapter>
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
38
Creating the XML File
Chapter (title, (paragraph | list | figure)*)
List (item+)
Chapter 1
My Trip to the Zoo
Figure (graphic, caption?)
<chapter>
<title> My Trip to the Zoo </title>
Yesterday I went to the zoo
and saw three animals:
<paragraph> Yesterday I went to the zoo and saw three
animals: </paragraph>
 An elephant
<list type=“bullet” >
 A lion
<item> An elephant </item>
 A giraffe
<item> A lion </item>
<item> A giraffe </item>
</list>
<figure>
<graphic ref=“elephant.jpg” >
<caption> The elephant I saw. </caption>
Figure 1. The elephant I saw.
</figure>
</chapter>
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
39
XML Application
Standards
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
40
Flexibility Adds Complexity



XML is actually not one standard, but many
HTML is always the same – it’s designed to be
understood by any web browser
XML can be anything you want



The DTD lets you define your own “tags” or “elements”
The DTD lets you define the structure of these elements
So how do we avoid a “tower of babble” syndrome?
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
41
Everybody Can Do Their Own Thing
Your XML
Chapter 1
My Trip to the Zoo
<paragraph> Yesterday I went to the zoo and saw three
animals: </paragraph>
<list type=“bullet” >
<item> An elephant </item>
<item> A lion </item>
Yesterday I went to the zoo
and saw three animals:
 An elephant
 A lion
 A giraffe
<item> A giraffe </item>
</list>
My XML
???
<intro> Yesterday I went to the zoo and saw three animals:
</intro>
<animals>
<animal> An elephant </animal>
<animal> A lion </animal>
Figure 1. The elephant I saw.
<animal> A giraffe </animal>
</animals>
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
42
Another Layer of Standards


To solve this, we’ve invented another layer of standards
These define agreed-upon ways of using XML for
specific purposes:



Agreed-upon element names, attribute names and structure
Agreed-upon interchange specifications
Agreed-upon best practices

Typically these are developed by non-profit industry
groups, with volunteer representatives from the industry

Sometimes more than one competing standard exists
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
43
Some Key Standards for Publishers

Generic standards for published content

DocBook (http://www.docbook.org/)



XBRL (http://www.xbrl.org/)
Standards for publication metadata interchange





DITA (http://www.oasis-open.org/)
Standards for financial publishing


DocBook for Commercial Publishing – just released!
PRISM (http://www.prismstandard.org/)
ONIX (http://www.editeur.org/onix.html)
MARC-21 (http://www.loc.gov/marc/)
MODS (http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/)
Standards for eLearning metadata

SCORM (http://www.adlnet.gov/scorm/)
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44
Dublin Core Metadata








Identifier
Date
Title
Subject
Description
Creator
Contributor
Publisher







Type
Source
Coverage (scope)
Format
Language
Rights
Relation (related
materials)
http://www.dublincore.org/
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45
Adobe’s XMP
What is it?

Data about rich media assets (“metadata”) http://www.adobe.com/products/xmp/

Embedded directly in the asset itself

Able to handle multi-part assets, including timing data

Based on XML and Dublin Core standards

Covering bibliographical data, rights management, media
management, job ticket information, etc.
Why is it valuable?

Allows metadata to travel with the asset

Facilitates more powerful search

Used directly by Adobe and other software applications

Interchangeable between applications using XML
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46
The XML Family Tree
Document and Publishing Focus
Data Integration / e-Business Focus
SOAP
XQuery
SOA and
Web
Services
XSLT
Application
Integration
SVG
Flexible Data
Interchange
XSL-FO
RelaxNG
DTDs
EXI
Schemas
<XML>
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
47
How XML Benefits
Publishers
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
48
Key Business Goals

Make the move from print to dynamic, online products

Monetize content in as many ways as possible

Create new revenue streams and publishing channels

Drastically cut cycle times and production costs

Stay flexible and nimble in the face of uncertain future
competition
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
49
How XML Can Help
High-Quality
Multi-Channel
Output
Dynamic,
Flexible
Personalization
Powerful, LaserFocused Search
Compatibility with
RSS and Web 2.0
Technologies
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50
High-Quality Multi-Channel Output
Uses Map and
Stylesheet for
Web Delivery
Real Estate Investing Page
Home
Is Your Home an Investment?
Insights
More Americans are tapping
into their home equity. But
recent declines in the housing
market have shown that homes
may not be as stable an
investment as previously
thought, especially when it
comes to retirement. More
Contact Us
XML
Repository
June 19, 2008.
A service of the Real Estate Investing Group.
Real Estate Investing
Reusable XML Objects
June 19, 2008
Is Your Home an Investment?
XML “Maps”
Uses Map and
Stylesheet for
Print Delivery
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
More Americans are tapping into their home
equity. But recent declines in the housing
market have shown that
homes may not be as
stable an investment as
previously thought,
especially when it comes
to retirement. In fact, what
many homeowners don’t
know could hurt them. Studies done in
several major cities confirm that, when the
Not just
HTML
print
51
Dynamic, Flexible Personalization
Is Your Home an Investment?
Text That
Applies to
Everyone
<p>More Americans are tapping into their
home equity. But recent declines in the
housing market have shown that homes
may not be as stable an investment as
previously thought, especially when it comes
to retirement.</p>
Text Used
for
Starters
<p audience=“starter” >Of course, when
you’re just starting out, you probably haven’t
even thought much about retirement.
However, you should be aware…</p>
Text Used
for High
Net Worth
<p audience=“high-net” > Although most
high-net worth investors already own their
principal residences, many mistakenly
believe that second homes are a good way
to diversify their investment portfolio…</p>
Text Used
for Retired
People
<p audience=“retired” > When you’re living
on a fixed income, it’s very important that
your other investments remain relatively
liquid. Your home doesn’t …</p>
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52
Powerful, Laser-Focused Search
Show me all
products that
work on a
“Mac”!
New Windows
Product Available!
<title>New Windows Product
Available!</title>
Compatibility: Windows
<compatibility>Windows</compatibility>
This product works only
on Windows, and is not
intended to work on the
Mac.
<summary>This product works only on
Windows, and is not intended to work on
the Mac.</summary>
IBM, Apple, Microsoft, Windows,
and Macintosh are all registered
trademarks of their respective
owners.
<disclaimer>IBM, Apple, Microsoft,
Windows, and Macintosh are all
registered trademarks of their respective
owners.<disclaimer>
Full Text Search
XML-Based Search
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53
Powerful, Laser-Focused Search
XQuery
For $PR in $database//PressRelease
New Windows
Where
$PR/compatibility
Product
Available! = “Windows”
Show me all
products that
work on a
“Mac”!
<title>New Windows Product
Available!</title>
Order
by $PR/title
ascending
Compatibility:
Windows
<compatibility>Windows</compatibility>
Return
$PR/title
This product
works only
<summary>This product works only on
Windows, and is not intended to work on
the Mac.</summary>
on Windows, and is not
intended to work on the
Mac.
Finds all the Press
Releases in the XML
database that are marked
compatible with Windows,
and returns a list of the
Full
Text
Search
titles
in alphabetical
order.
IBM, Apple, Microsoft, Windows,
and Macintosh are all registered
trademarks of their respective
owners.
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
<disclaimer>IBM, Apple, Microsoft,
Windows, and Macintosh are all
registered trademarks of their respective
owners.<disclaimer>
XML-Based Search
54
Compatibility with RSS and Web 2.0
wiki
blog
Rich Internet
Applications
Web Services
del.icio.us
NewsML
Social Bookmarking
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55
15 Minute Break
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56
How XML Enables
Multi-Channel Publishing
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57
Multiple Workflows vs. Multiple Channels
Copy
Editors
Fact
Checkers
Manual Coordination
Senior
Editors
Editors
Typecodes
Editors
Quark
Editors
Adobe Creative Suite
Editors
Dreamweaver
Editors
Outside Service
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
Books
Journals and
Magazines
Textbooks
Web Site
CDs
58
Multiple Workflows vs. Multiple Channels
Books
XML replaces
traditional
book-oriented
content with a
pool of
reusable
information
objects
XML “maps”
indicate how
these are
assembled
into output
formats
Central
XML
Repository
Journals and
Magazines
XML
Publishing
Engine
Textbooks
Reusable XML Objects
Web Site
XML “Maps”
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
CDs
59
Applying Format to XML
Styled Print Output
XML Document
<Title> Powerful Stylesheets
for XML Publishing </Title>
<Para> There are many
powerful tools for styling XML
documents, but few people
understand how they work and
how to use them well. </Para>
Transformation
Print Style Sheet
Title
Font Family = Arial
Font Size = 18 pt.
Font Weight = Bold
Font Color = Red
Para
Font Family = Times-Roman
Font Size = 14 pt.
Font Weight = Normal
Font Color = Black
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60
Applying Format to XML
Styled Web Output
XML Document
<Title> Powerful Stylesheets
for XML Publishing </Title>
<Para> There are many
powerful tools for styling XML
documents, but few people
understand how they work and
how to use them well. </Para>
Transformation
CSS Style Sheet
Title
{ font-family: Arial;
font-size: 18pt;
font-weight: bold;
color: red }
Para
{ font-family: Times-Roman;
font-size: 14pt;
font-weight: normal;
color: black }
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61
eXtensible Stylesheet Language (XSL)

XSL-FO (XML Formatting Language)


The formatting model and language – expressed in XML – that
actually provides the style specifications
XSLT (XML Transformation Language)


A scripting language – also expressed in XML – that
transforms one XML document into another
Especially intended to transform an XML document into an
XSL-FO document
XML
Document
XSLT
Processor
XSLT
Script
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
XSL-FO
Document
XSL-FO
Processor
Styled
Output
(PDF, HTML, etc.)
62
The Power of a Neutral Format
XSL
FO
XML to HTML
wiki
blog
XSLT
Transformations
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
63
Case Study:
Reselling Print Content
on the Web
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64
Case Study: Reselling Print Content

Organization: IEEE, a non-profit, technical professional association
of more than 360,000 individual members in approximately 175
countries.

Business Challenge: Desire to support both print publishing and
Web subscription channels for IEEE content from a single source.

Use of XML: Journal and other content converted to XML and
stored in a central digital asset repository for publication.

Business Results: Higher revenue to cover editorial and production
costs; higher member satisfaction through the ability to receive both
printed journals and freely search for Web-based content across all
IEEE publications.
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
65
Case Study: Reselling Print Content
Content is sold in monthly
journal / magazine
subscriptions…
…but individual articles – from any
publication – can also be accessed via a
separate Web subscription
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
66
Case Study: Reselling Print Content
XML makes it possible to
publish the same content in
both HTML and PDF…
…and to make all the
keywords and metadata
searchable on the Web
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
67
How XML Lets You
Monetize Existing Content
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68
Using XML to Repurpose Content
Sell the same content three
or more ways…
1
Printed
Book,
Journal or
Magazine
2
Make Individual
Articles
Available on
the Web
Chapters
or Articles
in XML
3
Create New
Publications
From the
Same
Content
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
69
Using XML to Repurpose Content
Use XML-based search to
find chapters and articles
that can be re-purposed…
XQuery
Chapters
or Articles
in XML
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Chapters
or Articles
in XML
70
Case Study:
Monetizing Shared Content
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71
Case Study: Monetizing Shared Content

Organization: Large academic publisher

Business Challenge: Leverage existing content across
organizational silos to create more flexible, marketfocused products.

Use of XML: Convert all content to a single XML
standard, facilitating re-use of content between areas.

Business Results: Significantly increased content reuse, resulting in higher revenue, lower cost, and more
competitive products.
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
72
Case Study: Monetizing Shared Content
Journal
Publishing
Higher
Education
Textbooks
and
Exercises
Journals
Articles for
Custom Courses
Chapters for
Compilations
New Media
Publishing
Textbook
Chapters
Website
Subscriptions
Journal
Articles
Articles for
Compilations
Book Chapters
Chapters for
Custom Courses
Books
Conference
Papers for
Compilations
Book
Publishing
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
Conference
Proceedings
Seminars and
Conferences
73
Case Study: Monetizing Shared Content
Higher
Education
Textbooks
and
Exercises
Books
Custom
Courses
Book
Publishing
Journal
Publishing
New Media
Publishing
Books
Journals
Website
Subscriptions
Books
Journals
Books are made up of
Books and courses are
chapters; Compilations of
made up of chapters
chapters, articles, papers,
and articles
and topics
Chapter
Journals are made
up of articles
Web
Sites
Seminars
and Conferences
Conference
Proceedings
Proceedings
Web sites can
include any kind of
content
Proceedings are
made up of papers
Article/
Paper
Topic
Chapters, Topics and Articles/Papers can all share the same lower-level components
Sidebar
Rich
Media
Chart
Figure
Table
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74
How XML Creates
New Publishing Channels
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75
Today’s Trends
From the Familiar
World of Books…
…To a New World
of Reusable Topics
Library of Alexandria
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76
A Hunger for Relevant Information
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77
A New Channel: Custom Publishing
Magazine
Traditional
Publishing
Process
Journal
Book
Audience
of Many
Custom
Publishing
Process
Custom
Publication
Audience
of One
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
78
Example: Custom Courses
See all availabilities for an item,
from English language PDF to other
languages and formats
Use search dimensions to find
course materials.
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
79
Thinking in “Topics”
Specific
Subject
Topic
Specific
Purpose
Standalone
and Reusable
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80
From a pool of
reusable topics
and rich media
objects…
…many custom publications can be produced.
Custom
Book
Custom
Brochure
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
Custom
Course
Custom
Web Page
Custom
CD / DVD
81
Topic-Oriented XML: DITA vs. DocBook
 Book and article-oriented
 Designed for tech pubs but
can work well for publishing
 Has a version specifically
for commercial publishing
 Widely supported
 Well-documented
 Large user community
 Explicitly topic-oriented
 Designed for re-use
 Designed for interoperability
 Works well in publishing
where content is granular
and re-use is a priority
 Highly flexible specialization
 Rapidly expanding to more
and more applications
DocBook
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
82
DITA vs. DocBook Model
DITA:
A Flexible Collection of Topics
DocBook:
A Fixed Book-Oriented Structure
Topic Ref
Text…
Front Matter
DITA
Map
Topic Ref
DocBook
Document
Topic Ref
(Sub-Topic)
Topic
Chapter
Section Level 1
Topic Ref
(Sub-Sub-Topic)
Section Level 2
Topic Ref
Section Level 3
DITA
Topic
DITA
Topic
Section Level 2 …
DITA
Topic
DITA
Topic
DITA
Topic
Section Level 1 …
Chapter …
Back Matter
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
83
DITA vs. DocBook Model
DITA:
A Flexible Collection of Topics
DocBook:
A Fixed Book-Oriented Structure
Topic Ref
Text…
Front Matter
DITAEither
Map
Topic Ref
DocBook
standard can be used in a topic-oriented
manner.
Chapter
Document
Topic Ref
DITA
(Sub-Topic)
Topic
DocBook
Section Level 1
Master Document
Map
TopicText…
Ref
Topic
(Sub-Sub-Topic)
Section Level 2
Front Matter
(Front Matter)
Chapter
Section Level 3
Section
Topic
Ref
Topic
(Topic)
DITA
Topic
DITA
Topic
Topic
Topic
Topic
DITA
Topic
DITA
Topic
(Topic)
Section
Section Level 2 …
(Sub-Topic)
(Sub-Sub-Topic)
Section
(Sub-Topic)
DITA
Topic
Topic
Topic
(Back Matter)
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
Section
(Sub-Sub-Topic)
Section
Level 1 …
Section Chapter …
(Topic)
Back Matter
Back Matter
84
XQuery: Real-Time Custom Publishing
I’m looking for
everything I
can find on
“X”
Query
Results
Formatted
in PDF
XQuery
Central
XML
Repository
Transform
Results
Formatted
in HTML
XQuery allows for
real-time, dynamic
publishing based
on a consumer’s
query or profile.
Reusable XML Objects
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
85
A Wide Variety of Applications

Custom courses and textbooks

Custom corporate eLearning materials

Custom travel guides

Custom technical journals and research reports

Custom legal and professional publications
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
86
Case Study:
Custom Publishing
with XML
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
87
Case Study: Custom Publishing

Organization: O’Reilly Publishing

Business Challenge: Demand for custom textbooks to
fit individual teacher and course requirements.

Use of XML: Articles and book chapters converted to
XML, making them easy to assemble into custom
publications.

Business Results: Higher sales and higher customer
satisfaction.
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
88
Case Study: Custom Publishing
The old world…
Individual published
books – one size fits all.
The new world…
You pick what you need
and publish your own
textbook!
My Flash
Primer
My Course
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
89
Case Study: Custom Publishing
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
90
Moving Forward
With XML
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
91
XML Solution Architecture
Developmental
Editing /
Peer Review
Conversion
to XML
Editorial
Production
Microsoft
Word
Conversion
Tool/Service
XML
Editor
XML
Editor
Author
Submission
Microsoft
Word
Content
Management
System
Central
Repository
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
Web
Site
Dynamic
Content
Delivery
Books
Multi-Channel
Publishing
Engine
Journals
CDs
Quark or
Adobe
InDesign
Magazines
92
XML
Editing
XML Tools to Know About
Xpress Author
XML Content
Mgmt
XML
Delivery
FrameMaker
documentum
Document
Manager
FileNet Content
Manager
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
93
XML Project Roadmap
Solution Blueprint
Business
Success
Framework
Content
Architecture
 As-Is
Environment
 To-Be Solution
Model (Content,
Process, and
Technology)
 Implementation
Roadmap
Solution
Design
Iterative
Development
Solution
Deployment
 Content Model
 Software
Architecture
 Detailed Iteration
Plan
 Final Systems
Test
 Chunking and
Reuse Strategy
 User Stories /
Use Cases
 Refined User
Stories
 User Acceptance
Test
 Linking Strategy
 CMS Design
 User and Admin
Guides
 Metadata and
Taxonomies
 Physical
Architecture
 Detailed Test
Cases
 User and Admin
Training
 XML Standards
 Prototype
 Environment
Set-Up
 Migration
Approach
 Implementation
Plan
 Individual
Iterations (Test,
Build, Validate)
 Roll-Out and
Deployment
 Content Analysis
 Business
Assessment
Solution Implementation
 Project Review
Source: Flatirons SourceOnce™ Methodology, Copyright © Flatirons Solutions Corporation 2001-2009, All Rights Reserved
Copyright © 2009 Flatirons Solutions Corporation, All Rights Reserved
94
www.FlatironsSolutions.com
Open Discussion
Q&A
What you’ve done with XML so far
What you’re going to do with XML in the
future
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95