support for 'macro' formatting languages

[Pieter Rijken <pieter.rijken@xxxxxx>]

Hi all,

The idea of an SGML based document, DSSSL sytle sheet, and
(Open)Jade is that one ideally only needs one and only one
style sheet to generate output suitable for PDF, HTML, PS,
TeX, RTF, etc?

DSSSL lets you specify the desired layout in almost every
small detail. This is very nice since it means that limitations
in the layout arise from the limitations of the chosen output
format (jade backend), not from DSSSL itself.

Now, suppose, I have an SGML file, and layout specification
written in DSSSL. For printing purposes I would like the output
to be exactly as described in the DSSSL file.
However, since the SGML document actually is an 'article' and the
publisher to which I will submit the article, uses LaTeX with the
package 'revtex', not uncommon.

In fact what happened is that I would like jade to generate
the document in a 'macro language' like LaTeX with a certain package.
The same applies to API specifications. One would like to include
them in high quality manuals, but also as online manuals, e.g. 
UNIX man.

Taking the latter as an example. Suppose I would like add a backend
to OpenJade supporting [ngt]roff. Next, I would like to specify
somehow that OpenJade has to generate roff and use the macro
package 'an' (for man pages). One could do this by adding another
backend.....

Perhaps another solution would be to just have the roff backend in
OpenJade and for each macro package have a separate DSSSL script
AND dtd and declare these as architectural forms. Then one could
switch on a particular macro package by specifying "-A an" on
OpenJade command line.

What is the best solution? Does anyone have an idea? Any suggestion
would help me alot.

thanks,

pieter

P.S. At the moment I have added a backen to support SDML (specific
     document markup language, or DECDocument, it runs on OpenVMS).
     SDML is a macro package on top of TeX. I have documents written
     in SGML, from which I generate TeX, RTF, and ...SDML. In order
     to make optimal use of SDML, I would like to access macros defined
     in SDML without having to modify the DSSSL scripts.

-- 
Pieter Rijken                          E-mail: pieter.rijken@xxxxxx

CMG Telecommunications and Utilities B.V.
Division Advanced Technology
Nieuwekade 1-19
P.O. Box 8038                 Phone: +31 30 2339300
3503 RA Utrecht               Fax:   +31 30 2339495
The Netherlands
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