XML and the Future

Liam Quin, <liam@w3.org>

XML and the Future

Some Topics for Today
Is Print Publishing Becoming Marginalized?
The Future of Publishing and Print at W3C
Current XML Work at W3C
How to Change the Future

Publishing and Print at Stuttgart

First printed book - 1486, Electio Maximilliani
Albert John Bengel, Greek NT, first Lutheran Bible commentary
On Ballet: Lettres sur la Dance Noverre, 1760
Today, the region is known world-wide as a centre for publishing.

XML Publishing and Print at W3C

XML, namespaces, XSD, ITS
XSLT, XPath, XQuery
XProc
XSL-FO, CSS, (X)HTML

Technologies: XML

XML 5e; namespaces; ITS
XSD 1.1 (currently at Proposed Recommendation)

Aside: W3C Process

Working Draft
Last Call Working Draft - WG thinks it’s done
Candidate Recommendation - Call for Implementations
Proposed Recommendation - Final W3C Member Review
Recommendation - A Standard
New Editions - fix minor problems

Technologies: XML

XML 5e; namespaces; ITS
XSD 1.1 (currently at Proposed Recommendation)
XProc - orchestrate pipelines
up next... XSL-FO, CSS, (X)HTML

XSL-FO Background

Fixed XML vocabulary for formatting XML with CSS
Intended to be generated with XSLT
Main features: page templates with regions, text flow, retrieve-marker, indexing
Coming up...

XSL-FO 2.0 Draft

Improved colour models
Region positioning, shapes
Improved Japanese support (ruby)
Marginalia, copyfitting
. . .

CSS 3 and HTML 5

Being used by newer EPUB/eBook specs
HTML is a fixed vocabulary for formatting with CSS
HTML 5 at W3C Last Call...

Aside: W3C Process

Working Draft
Last Call Working Draft - WG thinks it’s done
Candidate Recommendation - Call for Implementations
Proposed Recommendation - Final W3C Member Review
Recommendation - A Standard
New Editions - fix minor problems

CSS 3 and HTML 5

Cascading Style Sheets Level 3
Being used by newer EPUB/eBook specs
HTML is a fixed vocabulary for formatting with CSS
HTML 5 is at W3C Last Call
CSS 3 is all over the place
CSS is starting to handle print...

CSS HTML

CSS Regions (with shapes) and CSS Flows
CSS “Grid” layout
CSS calc() like XSL-FO expression language
Web typography, woff, OpenType features
Long way from XSL-FO but moving faster

The Way Forward

CSS is not good enough to replace XSL
The CSS Working Group doesn’t have the expertise today
The XSL-FO (XPPL) Working Group is inactive

XML Publishing Workflow

XML. You know it makes sense.
Even HTML 5 with CSS 3 can’t do a magazine
How can we make it work?

W3C is about...

Community - Your comments matter
Consensus - You have a voice
Process - ensuring we have consensus
Open Platform for Eveyone

How to get involved

W3C-Technology Organizations pay to join W3C
Individuals outside W3C-technology organizations contact Working Group chairs; free
Anyone can send comments (bugzilla, email)
New W3C Cpmmunity Group starting for XSL-FO

Thank You

The young Weisskunig instructed in the Black Arts

The young Weisskunig instructed in the Black Arts
Made by Hans Burgkmair the Elder in 1516. based on Der Weisskunig.

Questions, Discussion, Comments

Questions?
Comments?
Discussion?
liam@w3.org

Photo Credits

1486 Printer of the Erwählung Maximillians / Electio Maximilliani
Photo by elmastudio/flickr

Triton-like & other sea-monsters - Carolingian miniature folio-124r
The Stuttgart Psalter, in the Ernest T. DeWald Collection at the Württembergische Landes-Bibliothek; image flickr/petrus.agricola

1957 Zündapp Janus car, photo Georg Schwalbach (GS1311) / flickr

Diary of a Dark Priest - photo Liam Quin / www.fromoldbooks.org

Henry VIII eyes - engraving, fromoldbooks.org

The young Weisskunig instructed in the Black Arts (XML?); image flickr/Kintzertorium