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Subject:RE: Comparison of XML tools for writing documents From:"Nagai, Paul" <pnagai -at- inovant -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com> Date:Tue, 11 Jan 2005 07:44:58 -0800
> Our team is considering moving to XML-based documentation and we're
> trying to pick a tool for content creation. Has anyone done research on
> this already or know of a site that compares popular tools? I'd be very
> happy to leverage any work that anyone else has already done :-) I've
> been looking at Epic, Structured FrameMaker, XMLSpy, Xmetal.
Research we conducted a couple of years ago now, in front of a project to move several documentation suites into XML and a Content Management System, found FrameMaker lacking in the CMS-integration department. Further Frame did not work with and/or create and/or import native XML without effort. Finally, on a soft note, it perpetuated the format paradigm slowing the adoption of the content paradigm. There were other factors, of course, but those were the high level drivers of the decision to work with Epic instead. One post-implementation upside discovery about our choice is that customizing and extending Epic is much easier than FrameMaker.
I can't tell from your e-mail whether or not you have done this, but I think a move to XML-based documentation should be justified based on well understood requirements, savings and/or enhanced capabilities resulting from such a move, etc. XML for XML's sake is a money pit.
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