Hi Lynn Hales,
I've been a lurker of the adepters board for a long time (a modest user of the tools, not a FOSI or XSL developer), but I felt it now time to contact you regarding the LOGSA fileset.
I'm a contractor building books for Natick Labs (small LOGSA activity near Boston), which is an underling of LOGSA. They are one of the activities that are now standing up XML book development using the LOGSA fileset. They (the gov't tech pub folks) are new to XML... I've been doing books in XML for a little while, more in SGML, various service branches, mostly Navy, some Army and Air Force, for over 10 yrs.
Here's my prob - as Natick stands up its' capability (training folks, getting Arbortext up, working with LOGSA etc.), I've been building their first book using the 5.3 version of Arbortext and the LOGSA 40051-2_3_24 / Stylesheet C 1_3 fileset combination - on and off, during this past year.
This Arbortext/LOGSA software combo was the only one that I could find to work <that would=" actually=" make=" print=" composer=" work=" (we=" are=" a=" small=" standalone=" shop)=" to=" generate=" pdfs=" without=" the=" software=" blowing=" up=" (arbortext?,=" distiller?=" never=" was=" sure=" which=" one=" killed=" which=" one).=" no=" kidding,=" last=" year,=" no=" newer=" combination=" seemed=" to=" be=" able=" to=" run=" without=" locking=" up=" my=" local=" machine=" so=" bad=" that=" it=" required=" a=" hard=" (power=" pushbutton=" down=" and=" hold=" it)=" reboot=" to=" get=" my=" machine=" back=" and=" working=" again.<br="/>
So, we used 5.3 and the older LOGSA files so that I could both generate the formatted output, and deliver hardcopy. This approach allowed us to show the gov't folks that there actually was a book in there, in all of the XML markup, but also that there were significant problems with the LOGSA stuff.
But, knowing that I could generate PDFs and hardcopy with this combination, I've been reluctant to migrate upwards, until I could get a reasonable assurance that a more updated (i.e. 'fixed') version of the Arbortext / LOGSA stylesheet combo would work (and still make it possible to Print Compose and generate PDFs without blowing its own software up.)
Now - (knowing that you've been in 'the game' for more than a little while and that you know your stuff very well)... is the LOGSA fileset mature enough to allow me to now transition to Arbortext 5.4 and a version of the LOGSA fileset CAVEAT that will also allow me to Print Compose to a PDF without blowing up?
I've heard all of the stuff about 'no more print composer' etc, etc. But since we're really a small shop - spending tens of thousands for publishing engine servers is silly, if I can simply 'print compose' and send the book to the gov't periodically (1-2 per year).
Let me know - I wait with baited breath.
Lastly, if you have tidbits of knowledge on how the LOGSA effort is progressing, I'd be keen to know that too.
Respectfully,
Bob Williams
Tech Research Group, Inc.
2377 Pawtucket Avenue, East Providence RI 02914
TEL 401.434.4680
EMAIL robert.williams@techresearchgroup.com
