Hybrid SGML/XML (was Re: Resolving ENTITY attributes)

I've used a hybrid XML/SGML strategy in several circumstances. The tools for
processing SGML are fairly robust and mature, while the XML tools and
standards are still in flux. Therefore, companies often have to "stradle the
fence" between the two standards, at least until all the XML standards are
firmly in place and enough tools are available to process XML in an
enterprise environment.

Support for this kind of application would enable companies to use their
existing tool sets, while building in support for the future. Hybrid SGML/XML
applications make compelling business cases, and should not be dismissed so
lightly.

Rick Geimer
National Semiconductor
rick.geimer@xxxxxxx


Richard Light wrote:

> In message <372A678C.452E6BFC@xxxxxxxxxx>, James Clark <jjc@xxxxxxxxxx>
> writes
>
> >More useful would be a list of public XML applications (preferably with
> >URLs for further information) that use ENTITY attributes.  Are there any
> >XML applications that use ENTITY attributes that aren't just XMLified
> >versions of SGML applications?
>
> The application I am working on is precisely that: an SGML application
> that is designed also to be XML-conformant.  What's wrong with that?
>
> By designing the app this way, I am hoping to make practical use of the
> design principle that XML offers a subset of the facilities provided by
> SGML.  I'm sure I won't be the only person thinking along these lines.
>
> To restate an earlier suggestion, one way of dealing with this specific
> case that involves no extensions to the syntax of XSLT is to say that
> the "way of determining a string value" for attribute nodes of type
> ENTITY is to take the normalized value and replace it by the SYSTEM
> value(s).
>
> Richard Light.
>
> Richard Light
> SGML/XML and Museum Information Consultancy
> richard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
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