Wednesday, 23 January 2019

If XML is just a subset of SGML, can I use XML files directly with existing SGML tools

If XML is just a subset of SGML, can I use XML files directly with existing SGML tools?

Answer:


Yes, provided you use up-to-date SGML software which knows about the WebSGML
Adaptations TC to ISO 8879 (the features needed to support XML, such as the variant
form for EMPTY elements; some aspects of the SGML Declaration such as NAMECASE
GENERAL NO; multiple attribute token list declarations, etc).
An alternative is to use an SGML DTD to let you create a fully-normalised SGML file,
but one which does not use empty elements; and then remove the DocType Declaration
so it becomes a well-formed DTDless XML file. Most SGML tools now handle XML
files well, and provide an option switch between the two standards.

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