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Re: [dita-lightweight-dita] Lightweight DITA CCMS based on Drupal

From
Don R Day <>
Date
2015-03-30T15:55:39+00:00
ID
Thread
Re: [dita-lightweight-dita] Lightweight DITA CCMS based on Drupal
Over the weekend Kristof and I discussed this cloning mechanism
    demonstrated in the video.He agrees with my concern but we had to
    accept that we cannot put this genie back into a bottle; this is a
    case of natural Web solutions becoming available whether or not
    there is a standard. Also, we agreed that although Drupal is already
    there with some mechanisms, our SC needs to define our
    recommendations without dependence on one particular implementation.
    We basically agreed to:

    

    1. Encourage the SC members to view the video if they have not
    already (do it! This is Very Important Stuff.)

    2. Invite Kristof to a meeting for discussion and Q&A about the
    existing modules and ways to associate clear text rules to
    applications like Lightweight DITA

    3. Seriously consider whether this alternative method of defining
    nestable modules in Web applications might in fact become a new base
    for Lightweight DITA or something we set on a parallel course with
    it (meaning we could actually capture a wider range of structured
    authoring use cases if they WEREN'T bound to the rather fixed legacy
    DITA flow sequences--and when we talk about the Content Marketing
    world, this is crucially important for capturing adoption). Kristof
    can tell us more about the internal data format that effectively
    enables this functionality--it is something that effectively
    represents a new kind of generative grammar and parsing rules.

    4. Test the heck out of our proposals using this already available
    Drupal function.First, to help define that eventual "schema"
    mechanism, and second to feed back suggestions for both new function
    and concerns for development directions. Anyone can contribute
    anything to this module as time goes on; how do we keep "good
    enough" from morphing in a direction that breaks the contract we are
    trying to nail down?

    

    I suspect we need to move somewhat fast on 1 and 2 so that we know
    how to coach the wider discussions around us that will surely
    happen. This is seriously good stuff for anyone looking for a way to
    create Adaptive Content. Compared to the 3-4 year old continual
    referencing of NPR's COPE approach to that problem, this method is
    way more flexible and deployable.

    --

    Don

    

    
On 3/30/2015 9:57 AM, Hudson, Scott
      wrote:

    

    
      
      

        

          
I’ve worked with Kristof in the past to publish DITA
            content through a Drupal site. I think it’s a very powerful
            idea, but also agree with Don that there would still need to
            be a way to validate the content against a schema. This
            could be achieved through schematron / XSL, and you can also
            restrict specific fields in Drupal for a content type. This
            could populate the mandatory items, such as the title,
            prescribe the metadata in the prolog, and any other items of
            interest. You can also set the order of fields in a Drupal
            document type, so you could have the content area within a
            conbody followed by one or more sections (for example). 

          

          

          
I certainly think it’s worth exploring, but also agree
            that we need some way to ensure valid dita output.

          

          

          

            

              

                
Thanks and best regards,

                

                  

                
Scott Hudson

                
Senior Consultant

                
Comtech Services Inc.

                
303-232-7586

              

            

          

        

      

      

      

      
        

          From: Don R Day

          Date: Thursday, March
          26, 2015 at 6:55 PM

          To: ""

          Subject: Re:
          [dita-lightweight-dita] Lightweight DITA CCMS based on Drupal

        

        

        

        

          
Michael may appreciate
            my admission of acceptance earlier today in a tweet.

            

            Note that there is a HUGE amount of work to turn a concept
            into a production-level service--what we see here is
            *feasibility*. Kristof can make it happen but his interest
            survey shows that he is realistic about the anticipated
            effort and the level of sponsorship he'll need.

            

            Here is my more serious concern: The kinds of new Drupal
            capabilities that Kristof demoed are extremely powerful for
            anyone needing to develop modular information for adaptive
            content delivery, but in the absence of a data definition
            layer (like a DTD or Schema in even a simple form), there is
            no prayer of a chance for content interoperability--The Web
            According to Drupal, as I see it in Kristof's demo, has the
            potential to turn into a Tower of Babel as it were.

            

            Lightweight DITA will offer such a schema, but will it be
            acceptable? I suspect the Web will need to invent something
            with much looser validation within those editable chunks.
            

            --

            Don

            

            
On 3/26/2015 2:35 PM, Mark
              Giffin wrote:

            

            Kristof van Tomme, who has a Drupal
              development company and is a DITA enthusiast, has come up
              with an idea for a starter DITA CCMS based on Drupal. This
              CCMS could use a Lightweight DITA mapping, so I am
              throwing it on the idea pile for your perusal. 

              

              http://pronovix.com/blog/free-and-open-source-dita-ccms-modelling-arbitrary-xml-drupal

              

              Mark Giffin 

              Mark Giffin Consulting, Inc. 

              http://markgiffin.com/

              

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-- 

              
              

                Don R. Day

                Founding Chair, 
                  OASIS DITA Technical Committee

                LinkedIn: donrday   Twitter:
                
                  @donrday

                About.me: Don R. Day   Skype:
                don.r.day 

              
"Where is the wisdom we have lost in
                knowledge?

                Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?"

                --T.S. Eliot 

            

            

            

            
            
              
                

                  
                  
                    

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-- 

      
      

        Don R. Day

        Founding Chair, OASIS
          DITA Technical Committee

        LinkedIn: donrday   Twitter:
        @donrday

        About.me: Don R. Day   Skype:
        don.r.day
      

      

        "Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?

        Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?"

        --T.S. Eliot 
      

    

  

	

		
			
				
			
		
		
			

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