Re: [xsl] XML to RTF with XSL?

Subject: Re: [xsl] XML to RTF with XSL?
From: Dan Vint <dvint@xxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 8 Jan 2001 07:18:16 -0800 (PST)
> 
> Hi all, 
> 
> Is anyone aware of existing tools that can convert an XML file to RTF? I
> suppose it can be done with Omnimark (and other scripting languages) and
> with OpenJade (DSSSL); does anyone have experience with doing this job with
> one of those tools? 

I've done SGML to RTF and Frame and Interleaf with OmniMark in the past, using
XML shouldn't be any more difficult.

For me the general process is:

1) Analyze your XML/SGML source and understand the formatting required.

2) Build a sample Word/Interleaf/Frame document that implements all the 
	formatting features that you want to use. Make sure you include
	graphics and tables so you can see how these tools deal with
	each of these. Look at the use of index markers, character styles,
	variables, and other features you might want to use.

3) Covert that sample document to the ASCII markup version of the given tool
	RTF/MIF/Interleaf ASCII

4) Now analyze the sample document. Try to find which portions become 
	boilerplate information at the beginning and end of the document. 
	I usually make a file for these parts so I can just include the
	information rather than recreate it. 

5) Analyze the body of the document and see how the different features are
	applied. Best case is they use simple tags that tie back to the
	information (stylesheet) in the boilerplate sections. Worst case is
	you get a name plus all the formatting information as well. 

	This becomes the basis for your conversion program. You have to now
	figure out how to map your XML/SGML tags to the markup you want to use.
	This becomes your program in whatever tool you are using.

6) Repeat process until you have accounted for everything in your source 
	document or as you learn more about the output tool, features you want
	to use from there.

My guess is this is more stright forward in OmniMark/Perl than it will be in 
DSSSL and XSLT, but it should be doable with any of these tools.

>From the OmniMark site there is a link to an RTF to XML tool that you might want
to look at. This program captures all or most of the RTF features in well-
formed (maybe valid) XML and there is a DTD for it.

..dan

> 
> But what I really want is to have an XML-to-RTF tool that uses XSL. However,
> the only XSL-formatting tools that I know of go from XML to PDF, not RTF.
> Can anyone add to my knowledge? 
> 
> Thanks, 
> Linda
> 
> 
>  XSL-List info and archive:  http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list
> 
> 


 XSL-List info and archive:  http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list


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