what's the big deal - jemostrom_dotmac

I think you are missing a few things about XML: XML is a "platform" for representing information in a structured way, that is the way you define the structure of your document is well-defined but it doesn't say anything about how the structure look like or what is stored in it. In other words: that two applications A and B stores documents in a XML based format doesn't mean that they can make sense of each others documents. So there is no reason to expect that any other application should be able to read Mellel XML files or that it can read XML files from another application.

That said, using XML makes it easier to write a translator from one XML based format to another.

Reply to This

Wednesday, August 30 2006 @ 01:24 AM PDT

what's the big deal - osos10

Thanks for your explanation. This however brings back the question "what's the big deal", since now we have to wait for someone to translate the data from mellel to the world and backwards ?

Reply to This

Wednesday, August 30 2006 @ 03:57 AM PDT

what's the big deal - Ori Redler

(from one of the developers):

There are several "big deals" here: The first is the move to an open, documented (the documentation will be released soon) plain text based format. This means that for archiving purposes or "fifty years from now" retrieval of content -- it will always be available and can be easily extracted. To put it simply: when you save a file in the new format, you're also insuring that you'll be able to open it and retrieve the content easily in the future.

A second "big deal" is that XML can be easily manipulated. For a third party application (ANY third party application) for someone creating convertors, or even if you're writing an AppleScript -- you can do just about what you want with XML <em>without having to rely on the developers (of Mellel)</em>. For example, if you have an outliner, and doesn't care at all about the finer points of layout and just want the document "outline" -- you can simply go to the appropriate section of the document and get it. Just it.

A third "big deal" is standards: it's infinitely easier to read and write something written in your "lingo". MS Word, Pages, OpenOffice all moved to XML. All the rest will follow.

I hope that gives better clues to why this is a "big deal".

Reply to This

Wednesday, August 30 2006 @ 05:14 AM PDT

here's the big deal - MAC_1984

I purchased Mellel since its inception with the intend that it eventually replace Microsoft Word as my word processor of choice. I can say that with this version it has accomplished just that. That's a BIG deal.

Reply to This

Wednesday, August 30 2006 @ 06:42 AM PDT

here's the big deal - osos10

As far as I can remember mellel was a freeware at inception, I ever used MSW solely to read docs sent to me (serious writing is for LaTeX), and before there are GOOD converters-importers-exporters of mellel to and from the rest of the world (and I don't care what is the underlined mechanism for that, XML or RTF), I still don't see what's the big deal.

Reply to This

Wednesday, August 30 2006 @ 07:46 PM PDT

It's a big deal but not big enough - jeffnailen--2008

I think your point is well taken, as is Ori's.

The reason why this is a big step is that Mellel has gone from a proprietary format to an open format as Ori points out. This facilitates long-term preservation of users' data since the format is now openly published rather than locked into a private proprietary format known only to the company.

An open format is a half-way point to an open standard.

The point that you're making, which I also think is correct, is that although it is now open, it is not a standard. Standards used across all apps, like TCP/IP, facilitate the free flow of information among users of different apps in the present. As long as companies produce their own versions of XML (like Apple, MS, and now Mellel) we still face a tower of Babel with each program speaking a different format language.

That's why, while Mellel's step is in the right direction, until all similar apps standardize on one open standard, such as the XML-based OpenDocument Format (ODF) which is what Open Office, NeoOffice, and many others are adopting, the free flow of information among documents written in different apps will be stymied.

Reply to This

Saturday, September 02 2006 @ 02:56 PM PDT

It's a big deal but not big enough - osos10

Yep, you are RIGHT !

Reply to This

Saturday, September 02 2006 @ 08:39 PM PDT

what's the big deal - verma

The big deal, for me, is not XML - at least not right now. If I want my files to be read by Windows-people or those without Mellel: RTF.

I don't mind if WPs use their own format, as long as there is one standard format to which they can export without losing much.

I prefer to work in Mellel (my other option is LaTeX) because the programme is elegant, flexible, powerful (every release is a serious power-upgrade) and excellently crafted.

These are the reasons for which I use Mellel. I don't need it for exchanging documents - I convert to RTF or to PDF. I believe that Mellel's implementation of XML will enable them to provide better export to a general formatting standard. That will be welcome.

But having a format that is open to everyone is not a priority for a WP, I think, as long as they provide good to excellent export to RTF (for example). Mellel does that.

I use Mellel because it's elegant, flexible, intelligently built and stable. It works extremely well. That still is the top priority for any WP, in my book.

Reply to This

Saturday, September 09 2006 @ 11:26 AM PDT