[sc34wg3] FW: [OASIS members] OASIS TC Call for Participation: DITA TC
Ann Wrightson
sc34wg3@isotopicmaps.org
Mon, 29 Mar 2004 16:56:46 +0100
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Apologies to those already in the OASIS universe... others, please note.
Ann W.
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From: "Karl F. Best" <karl.best@oasis-open.org>
To: <members@lists.oasis-open.org>,
<tc-announce@lists.oasis-open.org>,
<xml-dev@lists.xml.org>,
<new-work@ietf.org>,
<dita@lists.oasis-open.org>
Subject: [OASIS members] OASIS TC Call for Participation: DITA TC
Date: Mon, 29 Mar 2004 15:40:31 +0100
Organization: OASIS
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A new OASIS technical committee is being formed. The OASIS Darwin=20
Information Typing Architecture (DITA) Technical Committee has been=20
proposed by the following members of OASIS: Paul Grosso, Arbortext; Indi =
Liepa, Nokia; Eliot Kimber, Innodata-ISOGEN; Don Day, Michael Priestley, =
and Dave Schell, IBM; and France Baril, JoAnn Hackos, Debbie Aleyne=20
Lapeyre, and Paul Antonov, Individual members.
The proposal for a new TC meets the requirements of the OASIS TC Process =
(see http://oasis-open.org/committees/process.shtml), and is appended to =
this message. The TC name, statement of purpose, scope, list of=20
deliverables, audience, and language specified in the proposal will=20
constitute the TC's charter. The TC Process allows these items to be=20
clarified (revised); such clarifications (revisions), as well as=20
submissions of technology for consideration by the TC and the beginning=20
of technical discussions, may occur no sooner than the TC's first =
meeting.
As specified by the OASIS TC Process, the requirements for becoming a=20
member of the TC at the first meeting are that you must 1) be an=20
employee of an OASIS member organization or an Individual member of=20
OASIS; 2) notify the TC chair of your intent to participate at least 15=20
days prior to the first meeting; and 3) attend the first meeting of the=20
TC. For OASIS members, to register for the TC using the OASIS=20
collaborative tools, go to the TC's public web page at=20
http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/dita and click on the button for=20
"Join This TC" at the top of the page. You may add yourself to the=20
roster of the TC either as a Prospective Member (if you intend to become =
a member of the TC) or an Observer. A notice will automatically be sent=20
to the TC chair, which fulfills requirement #2 above.
OASIS members may also join the TC after the first meeting. Note that=20
membership in OASIS TCs is by individual, and not by organization.
Non-OASIS members may read the TC's mail list archive, view the TC's web =
page, and send comments to the TC using a web form available on the TC's =
web page; click the "Send A Comment" button. The archives of the TC's=20
mail list and public comments are visible at=20
http://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/
Further information about the topic of this TC may be found on the Cover
Pages under "Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA)" at=20
http://xml.coverpages.org/dita.html
-Karl
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
Karl F. Best
Vice President, OASIS
office +1 978.667.5115 x206 mobile +1 978.761.1648
karl.best@oasis-open.org http://www.oasis-open.org
Name of the Technical Committee
OASIS Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) Technical Committee
Statement of Purpose
The purpose of the OASIS DITA Technical Committee (TC) is to define and=20
maintain the Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA) and to=20
promote the use of the architecture for creating standard information=20
types and domain-specific markup vocabularies.
DITA is specializable, which allows for the introduction of specific=20
semantics for specific purposes without increasing the size of other=20
DTDs, and which allows the inheritance of shared design and behavior and =
interchangeability with unspecialized content.
More specific semantics allow
* more automatable processes
* more consistent authoring
* better retrievability
* better applicability to specific groups
The work of this TC will differ from similar efforts such as DocBook=20
because of
* broader scope, inasmuch as DITA applies to more areas than just=20
technical manuals
* more specific scope, inasmuch as DITA applies to topic-oriented=20
information rather than all technical manuals
Scope of Work
The TC will create specifications for the Darwin Information Typing=20
Architecture suitable for submitting for balloting by OASIS membership=20
for OASIS standard status.
DITA is an XML-based specification for modular and extensible=20
topic-based information. DITA provides a model for defining and=20
processing new information types as specializations of existing types.
DITA populates the model with an extensible hierarchy of standard types. =
DITA encourages reuse by reference either of topics or of fragments of=20
topics. DITA topics
* can be assembled in different combinations for many deliverables or=20
output formats
* are optimized for navigation and search
* are well suited for concurrent authoring and content management
Through use of a common specification, DITA content owners can benefit=20
from industry support, interoperability, and reuse of community=20
contributions. At the same time, through specialization, content owners=20
can address the specific requirements of their business or industry.
This committee builds upon the foundation established by the work of IBM =
on DITA.
The tasks of the TC include
* To articulate the principles of the DITA architecture through formal=20
specifications
* To assess the relationship of DITA specialization to emerging XML=20
standards (such as the ontology initiatives associated with the Semantic =
Web)
* To define appropriate enhancements of the architecture
* To standardize the information types in the DITA type hierarchy
* To encourage cooperation within and between the various topical=20
domains of potential DITA users. It is anticipated that, in addition to=20
the common information elements provided in the base specification,=20
specific communities of users may develop additional, specialized type=20
hierarchies of particular relevance to their use cases. The TC may=20
choose to recognize new information types or domain specializations=20
where a new specialization provides a standard solution for a=20
well-established need, has broad support, does not conflict with=20
existing types, and serves as a useful base for additional=20
specialization. For example, the concept, task, and reference=20
information types do so for the user assistance community. The TC=20
anticipates maintaining a set of core information types of general=20
utility, implemented in schema languages (such as DTD or XML Schema)=20
selected by the TC. Recognized types may also be maintained by other=20
groups (including other OASIS TCs).
* To design a generic methodology for specialized extensions of the base =
specification by user communities. This methodology may address issues=20
such as delivery of a reference implementation, operation of a public=20
registry for specializations, suggested guidelines for development of a=20
user community=92s information types, and so forth. When the above tasks =
are completed, the TC may reconsider further work, which will be defined =
as allowed by the OASIS TC Process.
List of Deliverables
Within three months of the first meeting, the existing DITA=20
specification will be contributed to OASIS by its author, will be=20
further developed by the TC and approved as a Committee Draft, and then=20
submitted to OASIS for consideration as an OASIS Standard. The=20
specification consists of
* a formal definition of the rules for creating new information type and =
domain specializations through specialization
* the DTDs and XML Schemas for the initial DITA information type,=20
domain, and map specializations
* a processing model description that defines standard usage of the DITA =
specifications
Within six months of the first meeting, the TC will seek to encourage=20
specific specialized extensions of the DITA specification, as well as=20
these deliverables:
* guidelines and methodologies for the development of DITA=20
specializations by a user community
* a possible specification of a standards-based public registry or=20
repository for such DITA specializations or a method for creating or=20
federating such resources
The TC may consider the creation of subcommittees where there is an=20
immediate interest in developing specialized extensions, but it is also=20
anticipated that such extensions could be adopted locally and informally =
within specific information exchange communities
One year after producing the first DITA Committee Draft, the TC will=20
produce a new major revision of DITA including
* evolution of the DITA architecture to address issues such as=20
namespaces, type unification, extension by addition, and extensible=20
enumerations
* formal specifications of all aspects of the DITA architecture with=20
primers, use cases, and scenarios
* maintenance of the earlier DITA types
* addition to the base specification of those new DITA information types =
that appear from specialized uses to have general utility
* a continuing methodology for the harvesting and incorporation of=20
additional, useful types into the base specification
Anticipated Audience
* Writers of other specifications that could benefit from DITAs=20
specialization model or other aspects of its architecture;
* Vendors offering XML authoring or development products;
* XML architects and developers who design and write XML applications;
* Information developers and information architects
Language
English
------------
The following is non-normative text for the purpose of setting up the =
TC:
Identification of similar or applicable work
DITA is an enabling technology that has potential relationships with=20
many other activities. It is compatible with ISO topic maps, although=20
DITA=92s use of the word =93topic=94 is considerably more constrained =
than in=20
that standard, and DITA maps use structuring principles specifically=20
designed to support specialization. It supports semantic web=20
initiatives, inasmuch as DITA both enables rich semantic markup and=20
provides a taxonomy for semantics through its type and domain=20
hierarchies. It is compatible with ontological efforts in general,=20
inasmuch as DITA maps are a way of describing the relationships among=20
topics, and can be used to describe multiple ontologies across the same=20
topic sets.
Because DITA is a constrained architecture dealing specifically with=20
topics and relationships among topics, it does not directly impact more=20
general activities. However, DITA topics are ideal candidates for=20
participation in semantic web relationships, and DITA maps can be=20
excellent sources for the description of these relationships.
The work of the OASIS DocBook TC is similar or applicable.
The proposed work is different from DocBook in that DITA is=20
topic-oriented, which lends itself to different uses than DocBook. Topic =
orientation allows the separation of content (specific topics) from=20
context (including links to other topics, context-specific metadata,=20
navigation, and print hierarchies.
The DITA TC will identify liaisons with other committees or groups doing =
related work to investigate points of common interest. Additionally, the =
TC may have some coordinated activities with the DocBook TC focusing on=20
interoperability of content in the two formats.
Optionally, a list of contributions of existing technical work
The proposers anticipate that IBM will contribute a starter set of=20
information types, formal definitions of four domains, five document=20
types, two maps, and several common modules.
See the table below for a list of the current DITA DTDs, schemas, and=20
related documentation. Additional information concerning these=20
materials, along with some IBM proprietary materials that are not being=20
contributed, can be found at=20
http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/x-dita1/index.html .
Other contributions within the scope of the TC will also be considered.
The date and time of the first meeting
4 May 2004, 11am ET, a teleconference to be hosted by IBM
The projected on-going meeting schedule
11 EST each Tuesday for 1 hour, for the year following formation of the=20
TC; hosted by IBM
Proposers
Paul Grosso <pgrosso@arbortext.com>, Arbortext
Indi Liepa <indi.liepa@nokia.com>, Nokia
Eliot Kimber <ekimber@innodata-isogen.com>, Innodata-ISOGEN
Don Day <dond@us.ibm.com>, IBM
Michael Priestley <mpriestl@ca.ibm.com>, IBM
France Baril <France.Baril@ixiasoft.com>, individual
JoAnn Hackos <JoAnn.Hackos@Comtech-Serv.com>, individual
Debbie Aleyne Lapeyre <dalapeyre@mulberrytech.com>, individual
Dave Schell <dschell@us.ibm.com>, IBM
Paul Antonov <apg@syntext.com>, individual
TC Convener
Dave Schell
Proposed Chair
Don Day
Attachment: Table of current DITA DTDs, schemas, and related =
documentation
Unit DTDs Schemas
------------------- ----------------
Information types =09
topic topic.mod topic.mod
concept concept.mod concept.mod
task task.mod task.mod
reference reference.mod reference.mod
Domains =09
highlighting highlight-domain.mod highlight-domain.mod
highlight-domain.ent
programming programming-domain.mod programming-domain.mod
programming-domain.ent
software software-domain.mod software-domain.mod
software-domain.ent
user interfaces ui-domain.mod ui-domain.mod
ui-domain.mod
Document types
(integrate domains and information types) =09
topics topics.dtd topic.xsd
concepts concept.dtd concept.xsd
tasks tasks.dtd tasks.xsd
reference reference.dtd reference.xsd
mixed ditibase.dtd ditabase.xsd
Maps =09
base map.dtd=09
book-specialized book.dtd=09
Common modules =09
metadata meta_xml.mod meta_xml.mod
CALS tables tbl_xml.mod tbl_xml.mod
standard XML attributes xml.xsd
Related documentation:
http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/xml/library/x-dita1/index.html
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