[topicmapmail] Announcement of XML Schema for ISO 13250 Topic Maps

[Patrick Durusau]

Martin,

On the topic of the fixed tag set of XTM you responded to the question:

>
> Re:Could you be more explicit on what you mean by  the following ?
>
> "The insane decision to use a fixed tag set made the use of XTM an
> impossibility in my environment. I need to be able to use explicit tag
> names".
>

with the following response:

>
> I have to train non-technical people working with general-purpose tools that
> have not been specifically designed to create topic maps to generate the
> relevant data during the last few days of a frantic monthly update cycle.
> The topic maps need to be updated in the last hour or so of this process.
> They are the most time critical part of the process as they are the last
> thing that can be updated. By selecting simple to understand element names I
> can manage this process effecitively. By forcing them to enter type
> information as attributes I cannot hope to have them correctly create
> XML-based Topic Maps. Converting my Topic Maps to XTM is relatively easy if
> I need to communicate with others, but no way do I intend to author in that
> format when I can define a schema that lets me use my existing application
> in a conformant manner and still take advantage of XLink.

Should I take that to mean that the "general-purpose tools" expose the users to
angle-bang syntax? Wouldn't it decrease the learning curve (and improve data
accuracy) to create an interface that simply allows users to enter the required
data and not even need to know the element names? I know exposing the structure
of the document is a selling point (or is so seen) by XML vendors but isn't that
really like selling word processing software that exposes all the formatting
codes? That was how word processing software started (Word Star comes to mind)
but isn't how most users use word processors today.

I have not had time to work through your schema document but it looks like a
very impressive piece of work. I am just not certain that I would choose ISO
13250 over XTM simply because I had a difficult interface for users. The more
obvious solution, to me at any rate, would be to create a better user interface,
whichever standard, ISO 13250 or XTM that was chosen for the task at hand.

Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays!

Patrick

--
Patrick Durusau
Director of Research and Development
Society of Biblical Literature
pdurusau@emory.edu