FreeBSD Documentation and DocBook SGML

[Jonathan T. Sage]

Al Johnson wrote:
> I'm learning about the FreeBSD documentation, and have read the
> primer at:
> http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/fdp-primer/
> and have a question.
> 
> http://www.freebsd.org/docproj/sgml.html
> states: "The Documentation Project is trying to use SGML as the
> standard method of representing the documentation."
> 
> DocBook has been defined using both SGML and XML
> (a subset of SGML).
> 
> My question is: Why does the FreeBSD Documentation Project
> prefer SGML to XML?
> 

it's possible I'm reading things wrong, but it appears as those XML is a 
subset of SGML. While I am by no means an active docbook person, my 
guess would be the fact that in XML, a tree is required, (i.e., 
everything is a nest of a nest of a nest).  I see very few instances 
where this would be all that appropriate for this sort of structure, 
particularly in a manual type format.  While the term "outline" 
certinally works, ITEM1 - PREAMBLE is not the same significance as ITEM2 
- CONFIGURATION, etc.  XML forces a very rigid structure, where it looks 
like SGML is a bit more freeform.

just my $0.02

~j


-- 
"Yesterday upon the stair I saw a man
who wasn't there, he wasn't there
again today, oh how i wish he'd go away"

Jonathan T. Sage
Theatrical Lighting / Set Designer
Professional Web Design

[HTTP://www.JTSage.com]
[sagejona at theatre.msu.edu]
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