Integrating XML in the Books Workflow Frank Grazioli Professional & Trade Group John Wiley & Sons, Inc. November 13, 2007
XML in the Books Workflow • Why XML? • Workflow and Workflow Tools • Processes • Products • Challenges, rewards 2 XML in the Books Workflow
Why XML? • Global organization • Many users of our content • Requests for content and variant formats appear infinite • Resources to provide content are finite • XML emerged as the standard • Need to simplify! 3 XML in the Books Workflow
Push for XML • Wiley’s Professional & Trade Group began working with XML in 2000 • Demand for XML has left us catching up ever since – External: distributors, licensees, consumers– Internal: new publication models • Having our content available in XML has become as much a priority as delivery of print: – Repurposing– Reusing in part/whole 4 XML in the Books Workflow
XML: Publishers’ Ally • Defines the content (similarity or uniqueness) • Structure: has a grammar (rules-based DTD/schema) that enables page layout or creation of multiple formats • You make the rules but those who use your content must use your rules (and vice versa) 5 XML in the Books Workflow
Goals • Reduce repetitive task • Reduce cost • Efficiency, extensibility, flexibility: – Fewer variables in the workflow– A process that is easy to access– Longevity for skills acquired in training • Simplify! 6 XML in the Books Workflow
Workflow: Content Lifecycle 7 XML in the Books Workflow
Challenges • Variety of content and content complexity • DTD is a formidable investment • How we think: pages • Technology changes outpace changes in workflow • Production, Editors: bandwidth, training • Collaboration . . . commitment 8 XML in the Books Workflow
Conditions for Implementation • Mobility of authors, editors, copyeditors, production staff • Distributed organization • Multiple compositors and production-editorial agents (copyeditors, etc.) • Must be a single-source process • Ensure least disruption to current process and production • Deliver editable content that I can reuse 9 XML in the Books Workflow
Implementing XML: Strategies • High Tech: authoring in XML; enterprise Content Management System(s) – Investment • Mid Tech: mapping to XML – Modular, incremental, (nearly) real-time • No/Lo Tech: postprocess – Expense, timing, less control over outcome 10 XML in the Books Workflow
Into the Workflow • A template for creating content • Tagging rules (what is important?) • Maps: handshake between manuscript, XML, and design elements • XML vendors for Composition • Editable content for revision at the back end 11 XML in the Books Workflow
How Editors Really Want to Think • What does the customer want? • What makes my content unique (or familiar), i.e., valuable? • What do I want to search, retrieve, and reuse? • Do I have multiple content structures? • Can I standardize elements across publications • Do I need metadata? 12 XML in the Books Workflow
Authoring Templates (WileySD) • “SD”: Structured Document • Clarify: structure and meaning versus presentation • Modular, enter anywhere in process • Help authors conceptualize, organize • Help editors ensure balance and adherence to house rules (e.g., branded content) • Common training/skill set for Editorial and Production staff • Limited tag set maps to XML • Support creation of macros and other efficiencies • Developed in collaboration with all of the P&T groups to exploit the similarities in variety of manuscripts • Facilitate revision • Simplify and control 13 XML in the Books Workflow
Microsoft Word* • Practical consideration • Most authors, copyeditors comfortable with Word • We mapped Word styles to Wiley XML element tags • Even if authors do not create the content in a template, they can work in a template to revise content 14 XML in the Books Workflow
15 XML in the Books Workflow
recipe recipeCulinary recipeIngredientsList recipeIntro recipeNutritionInfo recipeProcedure recipeSubrecipe recipeTime recipeTitle recipeTitleAlternative recipeVariation recipeYield 16 XML in the Books Workflow
Collaboration: Editors, Production • Goal: stakeholders own the process and tools • Create user groups that bring editorial and production users face to face – Review and revise styles– Develop macros and other utilities that aid the process– Communicate to authors, copyeditors, compositors • Wiley Professional & Trade Production Resources 17 XML in the Books Workflow
18 18 XML in the Books Workflow
XML in Process and Products • Composition: LaTeX, InDesign, 3B2 19 XML in the Books Workflow
Workflow: Content Lifecycle 20 XML in the Books Workflow
XML Front-End Composition • Compositors create XML on the front end and use it to drive book layout • We convey tagging information at the start of the process • We can provide structure to facilitate XML conversion • XML is source of print, ebooks, online content, more • Single-source process with editable content at the back end • By-product: Consolidation of vendor base means better control of process and quality of products, economy 21 XML in the Books Workflow
Example: “Feature” Attributes activity note caseStudy other concept procedureprofile definition recipeNote example tip extract warning general worksheet 22 XML in the Books Workflow
Use FeatureType in XML The FeatureType line can be picked up directly from Word file for thecompositor-generated XML: <feature id="vella6995c04-fea-0001" type="general"> 23 XML in the Books Workflow
Handshake: Mapping Word to XML 24 XML in the Books Workflow
Communicate Management of Semantic Elements 25 XML in the Books Workflow
Tagged Ms to XML 26 26 XML in the Books Workflow
Online, Print 27 XML in the Books Workflow
28 28 XML in the Books Workflow
Ongoing Challenges • Equations, math on the back end – Our authors need portable, editable text for revision • External technology change – Office 2007: PC/Mac, Visual Basic, Applescript • Writing/editing to the product or market: – print? web? US? Canadian/UK market? all? • Recruiting and training staff, vendors • DTD/Schema management 29 XML in the Books Workflow
XML in Process and Products • Composition: LaTeX, InDesign, 3B2 • Metadata – Capture rights and pedagogy 30 XML in the Books Workflow
<recipe id=“rec2345-rec-0001"><recipe eRights="yes" pRights="yes" copyright="John Wiley & Sons, Inc." xlink:href="file://text_a/rec001.tif"/><recipeCulinary type="prochef" difficulty="medium" category="vegetarian"> <recipeTitle>Broccoli Rabe with Garlic and Hot Crushed Pepper</recipeTitle> <recipeAlternativeTitle>Cime di Broccoli con Aglio e Pepperoncino</recipeAlternativeTitle> <recipeYield> <quantity>10</quantity> <units>servings</units> </recipeYield> . . . 31 XML in the Books Workflow
XML in Process and Products • Composition: LaTeX, InDesign, 3B2 • Metadata – Capture rights and pedagogy– Search/retrieval, digital archive 32 XML in the Books Workflow
33 XML in the Books Workflow
<contentUnit><VVV.contentUnitType>chapter</VVV.contentUnitType> <titleInfo> <VVV.title textformat="ASCII">First Order Differential Equations</VVV.title></titleInfo><file> <VVV.compliesWithFilenaming>Books0.5</VVV.compliesWithFilenaming> <VVV.operatingSystem>Macintosh</VVV.operatingSystem> <VVV.path>pdf/c02.pdf</VVV.path> <VVV.resourceVersion>archive</VVV.resourceVersion> <VVV.resourceUse>press PDF</VVV.resourceUse> <VVV.resourceType>publication file</VVV.resourceType> </file><file> <VVV.compliesWithFilenaming>Books0.5</VVV.compliesWithFilenaming> <VVV.operatingSystem>Macintosh</VVV.operatingSystem> <VVV.path>ch02/text_s/c02.xml</VVV.path> <VVV.resourceVersion>source</VVV.resourceVersion> <VVV.resourceUse>other</VVV.resourceUse> <VVV.resourceType>text</VVV.resourceType> </file><file> <VVV.compliesWithFilenaming>Books0.5</VVV.compliesWithFilenaming> <VVV.operatingSystem>Macintosh</VVV.operatingSystem> <VVV.path>ch02/image_a/c02f001.eps</VVV.path> <VVV.resourceVersion>archive</VVV.resourceVersion> <VVV.resourceUse>high-res print graphic</VVV.resourceUse> <VVV.resourceType>figure, numbered</VVV.resourceType> </file>… </contentUnit> 34 XML in the Books Workflow
XML in Process and Products • Composition: LaTeX, InDesign, 3B2 • Metadata – Capture rights and pedagogy– Search/retrieval, digital archive– Distribution of whole content 35 XML in the Books Workflow
Bookseller Search 36 XML in the Books Workflow
Libraries 37 XML in the Books Workflow
XML in Processes and Products • Composition: LaTeX, InDesign, 3B2 • Metadata – Capture rights and pedagogy– Search/retrieval, digital archive– Distribution of whole content • Full-text XML – Online/distance learning– Custom publishing– Reflowable e-book formats (IDPF OEBPS/PF recommendation) 38 XML in the Books Workflow
Online/Distance Learning 39 XML in the Books Workflow
Online: Wiley Plus 40 XML in the Books Workflow
Subscription: Wiley Interscience 41 XML in the Books Workflow
Reflowable Text E-Books 42 XML in the Books Workflow
43 XML in the Books Workflow
XML in Process and Products • Composition: LaTeX, InDesign, 3B2 • Metadata – Capture rights and pedagogy– Search/retrieval, digital archive– Distribution of whole content • Full-text XML – Online/distance learning– Custom publishing– Reflowable e-book formats (IDPF OEBPS/PF recommendation) • Web feeds/RSS, Podcasts, PDA or phone feeds – Frommers.com, Wrox Press/wrox.com, Cliffs.com, Dummies.com, JK Lasser Online, others 44 XML in the Books Workflow
45 XML in the Books Workflow
Podcasts, RSS, Phone/PDA 46 XML in the Books Workflow
Rewards • Variety of content and content complexity: we can more efficiently support these • How editors/production think: structure and semantics (new products), think like editors! • Technology: leverage/map to someone else’s • Production: reduce tasks, acquire new skills • Collaboration: own the process; change the process; growth 47 XML in the Books Workflow