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XML Authoring Environment (XAE) for Emacs
Those interested in creating XML documents for any reason (e.g. EAD finding aids), might find the
following interesting:
XAE (XML authoring environment) package for Emacs
http://xmlhack.com/read.php?item=1029
The only document type definition (DTD) currently supported directly through the distributed software
is DocBook, but others are certainly possible. This won't work on Windows, and it assumes a fair bit
of knowledge about Emacs, but it could be a great, free option for those trying to deal with XML
documents, XSLT style sheets, etc.
For those not already familiar with it, Emacs
http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/emacs.html
is a free, open-source software (OSS) text editing application that has been enhanced by many
programmers over the years to support all kinds of activities such as programming and text
manipulation. Like a lot of OSS, it's got a steeper learning curve than some commercial off-the-shelf
(COTS) software, but the benefits are things like:
- low cost (free download, though training, support and maintenance are still far from free),
- customization options - since the source code is open it affords tinkering,
- large installed base - there are lots of avenues out there for finding out from other users how to
use it,
- efficiency - since you can install only the functions you need, it avoids a lot of the "bloatware"
issues associated with many other commercial wordprocessing packages,
- more freedom from specific vendors - no single software vendor can suddenly go out of business or
decide to abandon support for the older version in favor of a newer one that you can't afford.
There are obviously some good proprietary XML applications on the market, too. And a tool like Emacs
isn't for everyone, but it's still a powerful option to consider.
=========================================================
Cal Lee
University of Michigan
School of Information
Phone: 734-647-0505
http://www-personal.si.umich.edu/~calz/
"How can I know what I think because I forgot what I said?"
- Karl Weick, 1979
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