Microsoft KB Archive/68620

Support for Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML)

PSS ID Number: Q68620 Article last modified on 03-13-1995

6.00 6.00a 6.00c

WINDOWS

= SUMMARY =

Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) is an international standard (ISO 8879) used to specify languages that describe the logical structure of documents.

Support for conversion between Word 6.0 and SGML format is supported by the SGML Author 1.0 for Word 6.0 for Windows. For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

ARTICLE-ID: Q126249 TITLE : SGML Author for Word Questions and Answers

= MORE INFORMATION =

SGML uses Document Type Descriptor (DTD) to describe the logical structure of documents. A DTD specifies rules and a set of “tags” for a particular document type. The tags are inserted in ASCII text to mark the boundaries of each logical construct defined in the DTD. The intent is to describe structure (not formatting) so that documents can be interchanged in a platform- and application-independent manner.

SGML is important because the federal government and military mandates its use for interchanging documents between themselves and contractors. As a result, it is becoming important in the private sector as well. Major consumers of SGML are likely to be governmental agencies, the military and military contractors, pharmaceutical companies, airlines, publishers, and chemical companies. Each of these entities defines its own DTDs.

SGML is a difficult standard to understand because it is difficult to visualize a standard that carries no information about document layout. The layout of text on a page is just one aspect of its possible use. SGML allows the capture of much more information about text, graphics, and other document content, as well as the relations between each element. It can support the use of text in many ways besides the printed page. Searchable databases that allow viewing and browsing of text and electronic publishing are among the most common uses of SGML.

KBCategory: kbinterop KBSubCategory: Additional reference words: textconv 6.00 6.00a 6.00c conversion convert converts converted converting translation translate translates translated translating transfer transfers transferred transferring sgml ============================================================================= Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1995.