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"Mark Baker" <listsub -at- analecta -dot- com> wrote in message news:235723 -at- techwr-l -dot- -dot- -dot-
> > Specifically, if you're doing all your doc in Word (and not planning on
> > single-sourcing), what value is there in attending an XML hands-on
> > training session?
>
> Probably not much. XML is a very low level technology used to build
> solutions to a large number of computing problems. You are almost
certainly
> using some of those solutions already, though you probably have no idea
that
> they use XML. You will probably be using more such solutions in the
future,
> and you probably still will not be aware that those solutions use XML.
>
> It is possible that at some time in the future you may be asked to create
> content with an explicit element structure. The application you will be
> asked to use will probably have XML underneath, but you probably won't be
> asked to type actual XML tags. What you will need to learn then are the
> details of the explicit element structure that you are going to use, and
the
> details of the application you are going to be writing in. You certainly
> won't learn the first and you probably won't learn the second in a generic
> XML course.
>
<snip>
Until you have to debug the output.
On more than one occasion, I've had to open up RTF files with the RTF spec
in hand and tweak the code because the applicaiton that generated it
hiccuped somehow, or in some other way didn't do what it was supposed to do.
Learning XML means you're learning the foundation for many things that might
be built upon it. Understanding XML means that there's a good change that
you'll be able to track down problems when (not if) they occur.
--
--
Chuck Martin
User Assistance & Experience Engineer
twriter "at" sonic "dot" net www.writeforyou.com
"I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. The day
may come when the courage of Men fail, when we forsake our friends and
break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day! This day, we fight!"
- Aragorn
"All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given you."
- Gandalf
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