An Overview of Single Sourcing with an XML Content Management System, An Overview of Single Sourcing with an XML Content Management System

Creating an XML-based Content Management System to single-source technical publications is as simple as 1 - 2 - 3. OK, maybe it isn't quite that easy, but this article discusses how it can be done

Introduction

Creating an XML-based Content Management System to single-source technical publications is as simple as 1 - 2 - 3. Rather than focusing on any single tool or solution (and thereby forcing users to change to match the tool), this article describes one possible three-step process for using XML to single source your content deliverables. It is up to the tool providers to create a tool that matches the need.

Keeping the content in XML provides several key advantages:

• Easily associate metadata that describes the actual content.
• Validate the content against a standard structure.
• Create complex queries to return specific pieces of information

The Three Pieces (Click to enlarge.)

OK, maybe it is not quite that easy. Let’s explore each step in detail.

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