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Building a Document Model with Near & Far. Creating a document model with Near & Far is a straightforward process. After you start the program, the opening screen displays the menu and toolbar, which show the basic operations available.
You use the toolbar icons, which are described in table 26.9, when you graphically create a DTD model. They include functions to identify the occurrence of an object, an object’s type, the ordering of subobjects contained within an object, inclusion and exclusion definitions, and single content type parsable character data (PCDATA).
| Icon | Class | Type |
|---|---|---|
 | Occurrence indicators | One |
 | Occurrence indicators | None or one |
 | Occurrence indicators | One or more |
 | Occurrence indicators | None or more |
 | Object | Element |
 | Object | Named group |
 | Connectors | Ordered |
 | Connectors | Unordered |
 | Connectors | Selection |
 | Inclusion and exclusion | Inclusion |
 | Inclusion and exclusion | Exclusion |
 | Content type | PCDATA |
 | Other | Trashcan |
To create a document model, pick New under the File menu. Near & Far creates a new model with a single element. It gives it a default name. To change the name, you select Element under the Edit menu, and modify the element.
After you create and name the root element, the process is simple. Working through the document model, you drag and drop connectors and elements. When you create an element, you can use a pop-up window to name it and to specify its occurrence. After you name an element, you can add a more descriptive title for use with the report generation functions.
Tip:
If you have multiple document models open, you can cut and paste elements—or portions of content models—between models. This feature enables you to reuse portions of similar content models.
Near & Far presents information graphically, so the document content model is easy to understand. Color is used to indicate which object of the model is currently selected for an operation, which elements have no content, and the occurrence of content in the model. You can tailor the level of detail to fit your needs as you edit the model. Figure 26.22, for example, shows two levels of detail for the same model. In the first, only the top two levels of the model appear. In the second, all levels of the model appear.
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Fig. 26.22 Near & Far enables you to view different levels of detail in a document model.
Report Generation. System documentation helps you maintain an SGML system with multiple or complex DTDs. Depending on your needs, this documentation can include cross references to elements and attributes, a list of all the objects that occur within a DTD, and lists of elements in which actual data content occurs—that is, terminal data elements.
Preparing system documentation can be tedious if you have to gather the data manually. Near & Far’s reporting capabilities simplify the process. With the report generation feature, you can generate descriptive DTD reports (see fig. 26.23). Table 26.10 describes all the reports that you can generate. You can print them or export them in electronic format for inclusion in your system documentation.
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Fig. 26.23 You can generate useful reports automatically in Near & Far.
| Type of Report | Description |
|---|---|
| Element or group cross reference | Lists elements organized by parent element group where they occur |
| Attribute or element cross reference | Lists attributes with elements where they occur |
| Element or attribute cross reference | Lists elements with applicable attributes |
| Supplemental objects | Lists additional SGML data objects, including data types, insertions, local substitutions, and external substitutions |
| Terminal data | Lists the actual data content occurrence by element |
| Object summary | Lists the objects that occur in the document model |
| Model summary | Lists elements and attributes with titles and descriptions |
Highlights. Near & Far is a convenient tool for developing, modifying, and documenting DTDs. Its graphical interface enables you to manipulate document content models easily. Its reporting capabilities alone justify its purchase for projects that require extensive documentation. Although Near & Far does not eliminate the need to do rigorous document analysis, it makes you much more productive.
- Microstar Software, Ltd.
- 3775 Richmond Road
- Nepean, Ontario, Canada K2H 5B7
- Web: http://www.microstar.com
- 3775 Richmond Road
From Here…
The products discussed in this chapter are some of the most practical yet powerful products available. They offer immediate and pragmatic solutions for SGML design and authoring. More expensive products are on the market, of course. If you are a high-end business user, look into purchasing those products.
For more information, refer to the following:
- • Chapter 27, “Tools For the Mac: Authoring, Viewing, and Utilities,” examines the various SGML tools available for the Apple Macintosh.
- • Chapter 28, “Other Tools and Environments,” surveys other SGML tools for performing data conversion, validation, transformation, and document viewing that are available on a number of computer platforms.
- • Part VIII, “Becoming an Electronic Publisher,” covers the issues involved in moving into electronic publishing.
- • Chapter 28, “Other Tools and Environments,” surveys other SGML tools for performing data conversion, validation, transformation, and document viewing that are available on a number of computer platforms.
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