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Subject:experience using these tools? From:Michelle Nichols/VENTANA <Michelle_Nichols/VENTANA -dot- ITP -at- LGATE -dot- VMEDIA -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 21 Jan 1997 08:34:52 EDT
Kelly,
BookMaster is a tagged-based language, used to format and produce large
documents. It is an IBM creation. It is very similar to SGML and HTML, in
that the tags produce a certain format and presentation, but in the case of
BookMaster it is for paper. You send the BookMaster-tagged file through a
processor to produce the final output file.
BookManager is a tool which allows you to take the BookMaster-tagged files and
compile them into an online book format. BookManager BUILD is the tool that
creates the online book format and BookManager READ is the tool you use to
actually view the online format. Recently, IBM came out with a "BookServer"
product which generates HTML-tagged files so that your online book can be
displayed across the WWW.
Go to the IBM site, search for BookManager, and you can read much more about
these products. I used to work for IBM and am quite profficient in both of
these tools (IPF as well, but someone already answered your question about that
tool). While these tools are not heavily used outside of IBM, the knowledge
you will gain in using these tools will translate nicely and easily into any of
the other tagged-based languages as well as other compile-based online tools.
TTFN,
Michelle Corbin Nichols
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