XML Structured Authoring for Technical Documentation: Advanced Certificate Course
Contact Hours: 30 (an estimated time frame devoted to a course of study from start to finish that can vary from student to student)
In this new age of technical writing, documents must be developed for rapid updating and multiple outputs (such as Microsoft Word, PDF, HTML5, XHTML, FrameMaker, MadCap Flare). One of the primary methods of achieving this is XML (another is DITA, a descendant of XML and covered in a separate course). Outputs must include print but also electronic access on PCs, cell phones, and other handheld devices.
This 8-unit course can be completed in 6 weeks. You will have up to 2 months to complete.
SyncRO oXygen XML Editor: https://www.oxygenxml.com/. This industry-leading software is available at $5 USD per month.
This course includes videos and web-page transcripts of those videos, related information links, and practice exercises. You will have assistance and feedback from the instructor as you step through the exercises.
At the end of the course you will create a fully functional XML project that you can display in your professional portfolio for your technical writing pursuits.
There is no prerequisite for the Advanced class. The class materials and information in the Fundamentals course is contained within the Advanced class and is free with the purchase of the Advanced class.
By the end of the course, you will:
•Understand what “structured” means in structured authoring
•Create a well-formed document
•Use DTD (document type definition) to enable validation
•Use SyncRO oXygen as an authoring tool
•Segment your data for maximum use and reuse among a documentation set
•Use XML elements, attributes, and entities
•Use XSLT to output XHML documents
•Use XSL-FO to output PDF
•Produce a complete XML project that validates and generates multiple outputs
Instructor comprehensive review of completed projects. Pass grade assigned.
Topic 1: Course Overview & Requirements
•Reading
•Alternatives to SyncRO XML Editorzz
Topic 2: Structured Authoring & XML: Overview
•Reading and Videos
•Tutorials
•Practice: Create a Well-Formed Document
Topic 3: Elements, Attributes, Entities, Comments
•Reading and Videos
•Tutorials
•Practice: Create an XML Document
Topic 4: Document Type Definitions (DTDs)
•Reading and Videos
•Tutorials
•Practice: Create a DTD
Topic 5: Publishing XML Files with XSLT
•Reading and Videos
•Tutorials
•Practice: Use XSLT to Generate XHTML
Topic 6: Publishing XML Files with XSL-FO
•Reading and Videos
•Tutorials
•Practice: Use XSL-FO to Generate PDF
Topic 7: Conditional Publishing with XML & oXygen
•Reading and Videos
•Tutorials
•Practice: Use oXygen Scenarios to Generate Different Outputs
Topic 8: Final Project: XML
•Requirements
•Brainstorming Ideas
For best results, please purchase the academic version of SyncRO XML Editor. Go to https://www.oxygenxml.com/. This industry-leading software is available at $5 USD per month. (Other workarounds are possible, but not recommended.) No books are required although the following is recommended: Charles Cowan. XML in Technical Communication. 2nd ed. ISTC, 2010