RE: [xml-dev] Is "Hand Authoring" XML still a critical use case ?

["David Lee" <dlee@calldei.com>]

> Take an example.   Does ANYONE  "Hand Author" Word or PDF
> documents ?   I think not.

I'd disagree there David. The most common text authoring tool perhaps?

Or did you mis-write that? 
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I mis-wrote or you mis-understood.

People don't author "In the Word Format" 
They author "Using The Word Application".

If you ever open up a .doc file and look inside (even the modern ones that
are ziped XML) you will scream.
I don't think anyone authors in that format.  They use Word Application.
And let the application worry about the document format.







> 
> Yet does anyone complain about how hard it is to author Word or PDF
> Documents ?  All I hear from authors is how they DON'T want to author
> XML,
> 
> they want Word.   The actual file format is irrelevant to most
> document authors (except us geeks).

I guess you're missing the obvious benefit of Word authoring?
The author can make it look how he/she wants? That's meaningful
to many authors. 

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That *IS* my point.
People want to use a Word-Like or Actually-Word  *application*.
I understand complely the benefit of that.
What I'm suggesting is the lack of the equivilent for authoring in XML
Format but "Act Like Word" application.
(YEs I know there are some tools like Oxygen ... but IMHO not enough and not
good enough).
 


-- 

regards 

-- 
Dave Pawson
XSLT XSL-FO FAQ.
http://www.dpawson.co.uk