Gutenberg DTD's

by "Frank Boumphrey" <bckman(at)ix.netcom.com>

 Date:  Sat, 11 Mar 2000 16:41:20 -0500
 To:  <hwg-gutenberg-dtds(at)hwg.org>
  todo: View Thread, Original
here is a list of  proposed goals for the Gutenberg DTD's together with a
tentative time line. Everything here is up for possible change, and debate,
so please wade in with your views.

Frank

GOALS
=====
  1. Goals
   To produce a set of XML DTD's suitable for marking
   up Project Gutenberg Etexts by Volunteer markers.

  2. At a minimum the DTD's should be suitable for:
      Books
      Poetry
      Plays
      Saga's
      Diarys
      Compendiums
      Letters
      Mixed content
      *Atlases
      *Encyclopedias
      Dictionaries
      Historic Documents
      *Scientific Documents
      *Parallel Translations
      Other

      *These may be too ambitious for our initial DTD's,
       but we should at least have a look at them.

  (The time line below assumes that these needs can be met by 4 schemas,
    Books
    Plays
    Poetry
    Mixed content

  However it is possible that the needs for other specialized
  schemas will be identified.)

  3. Author Requirements Document.
     A document laying out the standard,s the DTD must meet.
     E.g. Extensibility, modularity, granularity, ease of use etc.

  4. The following steps will be carried out for each of the
     DTD types under consideration (See 2).

   a. Identifying and classifying the potential DTD components
   and validating needs

   b. Modeling and preparing element lists
   c. Selecting components
   d. Document Analysis report
   e. Build a Document Hierarchy
   f. Build classes, mixes, and Units
   g. Author Preliminary DTD
   h. User Testing
   i. Prepare final DTD
   j. Documentation
   k. Issue final DTD

TIMELINE
========
  5. Time Line

  April
      Prepare requirements document.
      Component selection for Books
  May
      Preliminary Book model
      Component selection for plays
      Component selection for Poetry
      Component selection for Mixed content
  June
      Test Book Model
      Preliminary Play model
      Preliminary Poems model
      Preliminary Mixed model
  July
      Final DTD for Book Model
      Test Play model
      Test Poems model
      Test Mixed model

  Aug.
      Documentation for Book Model
      Final DTD for Play model
      Final DTD for Poems model
      Final DTD for Mixed model
  Sept.

      Release Book Model
      Documentation for Play model
      Documentation for Poems model
      Documentation for Mixed model

  Oct.
      Release Play model
      Release Poems model
      Release Mixed model

  Nov.
      Review needs for other models
      Review needs for Other schema types.

  Useful reading

    Chicago Manual of Style
    Elements of Typography Robert Bringhurst
    Book Design Hugh Williamson
    Developing SGML DTD's  Eve Maler
    Structuring XML Documents
    DocBook Norman Walsh

    If you have time have a look at:

      A Shakespeare play
      A modern Play

      A Compendium of Poetry
      The Bible
      Pilgrims Progress
      An ordinary novel
      A book of short stories.
      A book with footnote or side notes.
      A translation of Chaucer, and/or one of
      Homers, Virgils or Dantes works
      A Math or Engineering text book.

    (Plus try and lay your hands on as many books,
    both ancient and modern as possible.)

    Marking up a book with an existing DTD will also
    give an insight into the problems likely to be
    encountered by the marker!)

F.B 1:14 AM 3/5/00

HWG: hwg-gutenberg-dtds mailing list archives, maintained by Webmasters @ IWA