Re: [xsl] OT: XML based wizard

Subject: Re: [xsl] OT: XML based wizard
From: "CyberSpace Industries 2000 Inc." <csi2000@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 16 May 2007 10:36:50 -0400
Hmmm.. funny - the very first thing that came to mind while reading your email was the CALS DTD... particularly the Canadian version. The US version models a technical manual - whereas the Canadian version models the equipment itself.

The Canadian DTD is a model for repair and maintenance of technical equipment ( say a tank or a battleship or a COM system). There is a section in there that deals with problem solving. For a particular subystem, there is a list of "symptoms", and for each symptom there are optionally a set of "technical tests", and for each of these there are one or more possible "causes" - and for each of these there is a set of "remedies", each remedy consisting of one or more "corrective maintenance steps".

The resulting xml (actually the original was developed within SGML) was a tree of logic that a maintenance person could step through to solve any observable problem by using the data to narrow down the probable cause of the failure. This sort of sounds like what you are proposing.

The information was typically either printed on paper, or provided as an IETM (Interactive Electronic Technical Manual) that a technician could use in the field to carry out repair.

The US Navy came up with a classification of 5 or 6 classes of IETM - from a class implementing simple page turning technology - to the class where the IETM is plugged into the equipment and the equipment, IETM and technican have an intelligent 3 way conversation about whats wrong and how to fix it ( for a fictional depiction of this - see 2001 - HAL and astronauts trying to diagnose the predicted AE35 unit failure).

Check the following link and/or Google "IETM classes"
http://xml.coverpages.org/ietmHarvey19980909.html

These might give you some clue as to "How do I display the questions?" and how to organize your data to support this. Lots of work on this precedes you.

Cheers....Hugh

CyberSpace Industries 2000 Inc.
Multimedia Promotions
XML Training and Consulting
http://www.urbanmarket.com/csi2000


----- Original Message ----- From: "Sam Carleton" <scarleton@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, May 16, 2007 10:09 AM
Subject: [xsl] OT: XML based wizard



Folks,

This is SO far off topic, it isn't funny.  I am turning to you all
because I believe my solution IS XML based, and I figured that folks
that know XSLT inside and out will know lots about other XML source of
info.

What I am need to do is develop a Wizard.  It will be some what
complex with many final destinations, based on how the user answers
questions.  My thought was that I could map this out the whole thing
in XML, having one question with the possible answers, then in each
answer have the next question and so on.

The question is this:  How do I display the questions?  I know there
are different projects out there that now use XML to describe user
interfaces.  Is there any particular projects out there that you would
recommend I look at to solve this problem?

I am sure you are wondering if this is a web app or a GUI app, the
answer is: YES, it is both.  Initially I need it in the GUI piece, but
I have no problem doing in HTML and putting it into an embedded
browser.  The GUI does fire up Apache, so I could point the embedded
browser at the web server for a complete web solution.

Sam

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