Cross-Publishing Tools and Trends

Print Design Programs Need to Get Fluent in XML

Cross-publishing options are practically mandatory in a press workflow these days. Busy print publishers, service bureaus, catalog retailers and others need an easy way to move data from the page onto the Web and beyond. In recent years that ability has become more and more refined, at first with options such as “export to HTML” and, of course, saving a print document to PDF which is then posted on a site. But the real key is to have various elements that contain content that speaks the same language. We know it won’t happen overnight, but we are pretty sure how it will happen: XML.

With the potential to replace HTML for creation of Web pages, XML is slick and extensible compared to the relatively clunky HTML. Strides have been made to improve HTML to be sure, such as Cascading Style Sheets, but a language is needed that is more poised for the future, as well as being able to offer the ability to extend and alter the language to suit current needs. We’ll take a look at how XML is bridging the content gap, and we’ll also see what software companies are doing now to hook in XML to their cross-publishing solutions.

Speaking the language
What’s so cool about XML? Why is it such a big deal? XML is an impressive language in and of itself, but it really shines when held up to current languages. For example, when you look at HTML you may see a jumbled mass of commands and tags, scrolling endlessly in the source code. Since your background is probably prepress, you may not be as hard-core as others when it comes to learning HTML commands. And why should you be? You just want to re purpose content, not become a propeller head. XML on the other hand is easy to read and contains commands in plain English. In fact, you create the commands.

Think of the commands as labels, for example say you had a database of image files to display. You could create a label for each and put it around the name of the picture, such as <images> Sunset </images>. Once you set up the image command and “tagged” your pictures with it, you would then have a lot of flexibility to process the information. This is a very simple example, but the possibilities can be complex and nested. But what won’t become complex is the language you create, because you can write it in plain English.

One of the benefits of XML is the ability to do synchronized time-based Web presentations, similar to what can be done in Flash, via XML-based languages such as SMIL. Having multiple events take place over time or triggered at specific intervals can be very compelling to a Web viewer and breaks away from static HTML or even the more free-flowing DHTML.

Staying current
The problem with widespread use of XML across the Web is legacy browsers. While XML is positioned to replace HTML down the line, it will take a while, because users will need to upgrade to the latest browsers to take advantage of the XML language. What is often happening now is software is being produced that internally stores data in XML format and then exports it to common formats such as HTML. Also, newer programs have the ability to convert XML to HTML, such as Vignette’s StoryServer, or Document Data to XML, an option in several of Adobe’s programs. StoryServer executes the process in an interesting way: a user accesses the website and StoryServer grabs the XML file. It then formats it on the fly and slides the data into an HTML page that the user can view.

Seems like an extra step, but one that is well worth it, because the producer doing the site need only update the XML file; they can completely bypass any HTML programming or coding once the initial site is completed. In fact, the XML file can be updated as often as needed without having to touch HTML code. This conversion happens mainly to support older browsers, since new ones such as Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 and higher support XML directly. The process works both ways, as the XML file can also be fed into your print program and updated automatically. Beyond the Web, XML data can be moved into everything from cell phones to PDAs. This is the nirvana that most companies are heading for and truly brings meaning to the much-mentioned cross-publishing description.

Early moves
Many companies are now incorporating XML features into to their existing products, often in different ways. QuarkXPress 5.0 can export XML content from CMYK documents via an included XTension called avenue. quark, an add-on that was previously available separately. Avenue.quark looks at the content in your document and examines how it is laid out. It then takes each QuarkXPress style and converts it to an identical XML element style. It can go the other way as well, moving XML formatted content into your Quark document layouts. The XTension does this by utilizing DTD’s, or document type definitions. DTD is the most universally accepted method, also know as a schema language, of structurally describing a document’s internal layout.

Other languages such as X-Schema and XML-Data are up and coming and may be supported by Quark in the future. The avenue.quark XTensiton is not foolproof, and converted documents may require some manual tweaking. However, the tool saves hours of time that could be spent converting one language to another.

Effortless sharing
Basically the goal of XML or any cross-publishing tool is to share data, as opposed to passing it along a linear line. But even better is the fact that the content is kept separate from the formatting. Additionally, XML is an open standard developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), which means it is non-proprietary, as opposed to a standard such as Flash (Macromedia) or PDF (Adobe).

Adobe is supporting XML in several of its applications, including InDesign 2.0, GoLive 6.0 and Framemaker 6.0. Similar to Quark, Adobe makes XML transfers happen via a cross-media plug-in called Xmedia UI. (A beta version ships with InDesign 2.0 and an updated version is available at Adobe’s website.) The program makes it easy to convert any existing InDesign file to XML. In fact, you can open older InDesign files, or import QuarkXPress or Pagemaker layouts and format them. Just assign tags to elements such as headlines and body copy and then export to XML.

Adobes some help from XMP, which stands for eXtensible Metadata Platform. This language allows exchange of data between different Adobe applications. While XML is a great “holder” for content in cross-publishing, XMP allows data to move from Acrobat to Illustrator to InDesign and back again. Adobe also has an advantage in that it has a fully developed Web design program that supports XML, GoLive 6.0. And here is where it starts to get very productive. Just as you would create a template in InDesign, you can now create a smart template using dynamic content in GoLive, causing XML content to move to and from InDesign and GoLive. All you need to do is create templates in both programs and direct the content on where to flow. This offers a bit more flexibility than a layout program that only exports to an HTML or XML file. Plus, the method incorporates server side technology, such as ASP and JSP, so you can serve up dynamic web pages on the fly over the web.

Other strategies
Is XML the only way to move dynamic content up on to the Web? Certainly not. In fact, most existing web authoring tools have used a number of methods to do the same thing – keeping content moving. Macromedia, for example, uses ColdFusion, an application server. An application server is server software that works with a producer’s software to update content dynamically. As with XML, the content and formatting are kept separate via a programming language called CFML. Web designers merely have to change their content and the website is updated on the fly with no additional coding. However, this locks you into a non-CMYK space, the least desirable workflow for prepress designers.

Macromedia’s focus is aimed toward vector graphics to be viewed online via its complimentary programs such as Freehand 10 and Flash 5. While the latest version of the Macromedia Flash Player does incorporate high-quality web printing based on vector graphics, allowing sharp output for sectors such as e-business applications, the color space is meant for a final destination of the Web, which, not surprisingly, is Macromedia’s main focus these days.

Best solutions
When looking for a cross-publishing solution, it is often best to examine a company’s product line and search for software that provides multiple output formats. Even though a company may have a strong layout program that supports XML, it may not have a separate software program capable of orchestrating the XML data into another format, such as HTML. Most likely you would want to not only retain the original layout as closely as possible, but you would also want a way to create the content once and send it out to multiple formats.

Luckily, most of the major and minor CMYK layout programs are now including more robust XML support at the same time that other output programs, such as web design software, include more XML options to drive content. Taking the time to explore XML features in your existing software and in newly purchased software will ramp you up to get poised for the future. XML may indeed take over for HTML down the line, as well as drive cross-platform solutions. It won’t happen overnight, but at least when it does, you’ll be ready.