🚀 go-pugleaf

Hi Michael...

I'm sure you'll get a lot of replies to this post .. with lots of different opinions. Here are mine ..

- Make sure you really have a reason for using XML .. there are good reasons to use XML, but there are also bad reasons to use XML. If using XML will result in a real tangible benefit to your workflow .. then it's probably a good idea.

- There is no real "should" for how XML is best used. It is popular to use XML for short topics .. this is an efficient way to develop and maintain modular documentation. But it really depends on what type of documentation you produce .. many people don't really need modular documentation.

- Unless you *really* need to develop your own XML data model, I'd recommend trying to use an existing model. The two popular documentation-related XML models are DITA and DocBook. DITA is a topic-oriented modular model (but can be used in a section or chapter model as well). DocBook is generally more of a chapter-based model (but can be used in a topic oriented way as well). Using an existing and popular model will save you a huge amount of time .. developing your own model can be rewarding and a good learning process, but unless you really want to sign up for maintaining this into the future (which can be a lot of work), I'd take a serious look at existing models.

- I wouldn't create a separate mode for each "piece" of your documentation .. I'd develop something that allowed it all to fit together. Again .. learn about the existing models (DITA and DocBook) and you'll learn a lot.

- Regardless of what you do, if you're using FrameMaker, you'll need to carefully read the Structure Application Developers Guide .. this is your guidebook and bible for XML development with FM.

Cheers and good luck!

...scott

Scott Prentice
Leximation, Inc.
www.leximation.com