Adaptation- Beyond XML?
I would like to bring to your attention the following article:
“Digital Text Cycles: From Medieval Manuscripts to Modern Markup”
by Terje Hillesund
University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
Journal of Digital Information, Volume 6 Issue 1
Article No. 309, 2005-03-09
You can find it at: Digital Text Cycles
I find the following quotes particularly interesting:
From the point of view of publishing, XML is an effort by computer scientists to make text production and text distribution compliant with basic features of digital technology. In digital text cycles, storage and representation are separated into two different phases. XML is developed to make the most of this separation, which is the reason why text content and text presentation are separated. This separation gives both intelligent storing and extended flexibility in text representation; the same content can be given different presentations. Text formats based on XML are thus suitable for re-flow (digital reading) and for cross-media publishing.”
“Paradoxically the XML-related principle of “single sourcing” or “one input - many outputs” also strengthens the dominance of print in digital publishing. In a single source workflow, texts are written and edited once and stored as XML, before they are published in a variety of printed and digital formats: one input - many outputs. As long as the source documents in this workflow are made for print it is obvious that content structures of printed texts will pervade the central XML documents and consequently all the produced texts in the flow. As long as print dominates publishing, the principle of single source will prolong this domination.”
Hence: “…the whole multi-use notion of single sourcing is a gross overestimation of the possibilities of XML…”
Now, what we are trying to accomplish with the VHL is to develop new tools specifically adapted (adaptation does come into play) to the “workflow” within the digital cycle: a process that begins with printed texts (or manuscripts) to be translated into and adapted to the digital platform, but goes beyond textual representations limited to/by the printing cycle…
Massimo-
It seems that Hillesund has a fundamental misunderstanding of the difference between “XML document” and “digital text.” True, a text might only consist of one XML document and nothing else, but at times (and especially in our case) it doesn’t. Besides using XSL stylesheets to transform the text before the user sees it, we also use database(s), for example. We use PHP to do some work for us. The “digital text” is a conglomerate of technologies.
I have more to say about the article, but it turned out to be a bit long, so I’ll put it in a separate post. Meanwhile, though, I’m intrigued by your last paragraph but not sure I understand it. I’d be interested in reading more of your thoughts regarding adaptation and its relationship (or not) to XML.