1. Suzanne Napoleon www.FOSIexpert.com
Go Native!
Get the most from your Arbortext Editor investment with native FOSI
Suzanne Napoleon

2. Why Go Native? Native FOSI = fastest speed
Native FOSI = most formatting capabilities
Native FOSI = easiest development and maintenance
Three important reasons to go native. Compared to XSL-FO and Styler, FOSI runs the fastest, has the most formatting capabilities, and is the easiest to develop and maintain, especially because of the FOSI interfaces available with Arbortext Editor. First, an overview of FOSI and Arbortext Editor’s support for it

3. What Is FOSI?
Stylesheet language developed for DoD technical documents
Standardized
Compiled
Declarative
Batch process
DoD adopted SGML as a standardized, vendor-neutral language to eliminate the nightmare of converting documentation from subcontractors. FOSI was developed as a vendor-neutral way to format the documentation. Standard is defined in U.S. MIL-PRF-28001C.
FOSI=formatting output specification instance=SGML document
Compiled language is faster than run-time language
Declarative language describes the problem, not the solution; leaves most optimization is up to the interpreting software.
Batch process is unattended, not interactive, and is generally less expensive than interactive processing

4. What Is FOSI? SGML application (Output Specification) OutSpec DTD
Elements and attributes but no text
ID/IDREF
Supported by Datalogics and PTC/Arbortext
Some differences in support
FOSI makes good use of structured markup, especially ID and IDREF.
FOSI is supported by Datalogics as well as Arbortext although there are differences between their support. Conversion is necessary.

5. Formatting Capabilities
Automatic page breaking and numbering
Multiple columns
Vertical justification
Tables
Graphics
Floated objects
Footnotes
Typical formatting capabilities for technical documents

6. Formatting Capabilities
“Keeps” for line, column, page
Keep together
Keep next
Keep previous
Widow and orphan control
Automatic page and column breaks require Keeps to support batch, unattended formatting process

7. Formatting Capabilities
Generated material
Numbering/lettering
Boilerplate text
Cross-referencing
Graphics
TOC, LOT, LOF
Section numbering as well as list numbering
Graphics for logo, note, warning, etc.

8. Formatting Capabilities
Formatting for structured markup documents
Test element and attribute values
Use attribute value as content
Test string variable and counter values
Support processing instructions
Specval, #FOSI, fillval

9. Formatting Capabilities
DoD requirements
Security classification of document, pages, sheets
Change processing
Classified, Secret, Top Secret, whatever.
Change bars, LEP, etc. Arbortext originally supported just change bars, not complete process, but now has CPA as an option.

10. Arbortext Editor and FOSI
Native, “built-in” formatting language
Formats Edit window display
Formats XML, SGML, and HTML documents for print/PDF output
Separate “Print FOSI” and “Screen FOSI,” or both combined in one file
Either way, screen and print formatting can be different
Separate screen and print FOSIs versus both in one FOSI depends on the specifics of your application. For example, if authoring is done in one location and publishing is handled in another location, separate FOSIs make sense.
Note that FOSIs can be modularized to standardize formatting across publications and DTDs. Modular FOSIs use file entities.

11. Arbortext Editor and FOSI
Additional formatting capabilities
L-paging (in addition to Z-paging)
Prioritized aka “soft” keeps
Wraparound graphics
Page regions
Z-paging is also available.
Page regions for bleed tabs, overlays/underlays/watermarks, rotated text.

12. Arbortext Editor and FOSI
Automatic generation of:
Indexes (from index elements)
Tables (from non-table markup)
External ASCII files
Formatting Pass Reduction feature
Increases already fast formatting speed
Tables generated from non-table markup.
ASCII files can include tags
More about formatting pass reduction later

13. Arbortext Editor and FOSI
Arbortext Command Language (ACL) variables (SYSTEM-VAR)
Test variable value for conditional formatting
Use variable value as content
ACL function calls (SYSTEM-FUNC)
Return result to FOSI
Call other scripting
XPath functionality
XPath patterns
XPath expressions
SYSTEM-FUNC examples: 1) substring; 2) ACL sets $confidential=yes. FOSI tests it and prints a CONFIDENTIAL overlay on all pages.

14. Arbortext Editor and FOSI
Processing Instructions (PIs)
User-defined tags (UDTs)
Pseudo-attributes
Touchup tags
Change Tracking tags (atict namespace)
Page Layout tags (atipl namespace)
UDTs extend DTD
Pseudo-attributes extend DTD
Touchup for tweaking formatting
Change tracking in Editor
Page layout tags for CPA and other layout-based formatting

15. Why Go Native?
1. Speed
FOSI is Arbortext Editor’s native formatting language
Styler™ and XSL-FO are mapped to native FOSI
FOSI is compiled
XSL is a run-time language
Styler is converted to FOSI when document is opened
FOSI for print/PDF output is very fast — fast enough for print-on-demand
XSL-FO is slow for print/PDF output
XSL-FO is too slow for Edit window formatting
FOSI is faster than Styler for Edit window display
My tests with DocBook: XSL-FO took 4 times as long as native FOSI to preview.
Formatting pass reduction would be faster than that.
Speed ultimately depends on computing resources.

16. Why Go Native? 2. Formatting capabilities
Native FOSI utilizes all the formatting capabilities in Arbortext Editor
Styler™ and XSL-FO support only a subset of Arbortext Editor formatting capabilities
FOSI is much more powerful than Styler and XSL-FO. Styler is just an interface, not a language. Examples of capabilities Screen and Print FOSIs follow.

17. Screen FOSI
Optimize the authoring/editing experience without affecting composed output
Fonts and color cues
Guidelines and error messages
Real-time error checking
Profiling for different Edt window displays
Structured markup means multiple outputs with different formatting. Display for authoring and editing does not have to mimic output formatting, which may not even be defined yet.
Screen FOSI examples follow.

18. WYSIWYG Screen Display
Blue asterisks **** in Edit window display are generated by FOSI.
WYSIWYG is an option for screen display. However, WYSIWYG loses meaning in the world of single source, multiple outputs.
Print/PDF output
WYSIWYG Edit window 18 18

19. Optimized Screen Display
Or screen display can be designed to contain more content and reduce scrolling.
Title colors are designed to reveal structure. Font is designed for screen display (unlike Times Roman).
Keep in mind that zooming in on Times Roman to read and write paragraph text also enlarges title text, which means even more scrolling.
WYSIWYG Edit window
Optimized Edit window 19 19

20. Guidelines and Error Messages
Display guidelines and error messages for authors and editors that never appear in print/PDF output
Structured markup means multiple outputs with different formatting. Display for authoring and editing does not have to mimic output formatting, which may not even be defined yet.
Screen FOSI examples follow.

21. Onscreen Guidelines
Guidelines are coded just for screen display. They do not have to be “erased” in any way, but will never appear in print/PDF output.
If just guidelines are not enough, the next slide shows another approach. 21 21

22. Real-Time Error Checking
Immediately alert authors and editors to problems and issues
Fixing things now is better than fixing them later
What is the cost to your organization of a published error?
Going back to fix things later is more expensive than fixing them immediately. Later means extra overhead costs. 22 22

23. Real-Time Error Checking
Example: Lists may be limited to 3 items, but not enforced by DTD. FOSI can perform real-time error checking.
Messages go away automatically when items are removed.

24. Real-Time Error Checking
Edit window and print output are different 24 24

25. Real-Time Error Checking
Error message goes away when partnumber is corrected to have just 5 digits. More complex error checking is possible. Note: Capability may need to be turned off when starting large documents. 25 25

26. Profiles Profile for authors, editors, SMEs, etc.
Structured markup means multiple outputs with different formatting. Display for authoring and editing does not have to mimic output formatting, which may not even be defined yet.
Screen FOSI examples follow.

27. Profile Edit Window for Different Users
Only the Part Description can be edited. Everything else is generated and/or protected.

28. Page and Line Numbers in Edit window
Edit window matches print/PDF output line-for-line, including hyphenation.

29. Page and Line Numbers in Edit window
Notice HYPHEN

30. Page and Line Numbers in Edit window
Notice HYPHENS

31. Page and Line Numbers with Change Tracking
Lines remain the same

32. Page and Line Numbers with Change Tracking — Customized
Formatting for changes can be customized.

33. Print FOSI Fast formatting speed supports long documents
Formatting Pass Reduction can help
FOSI is not just for long documents
Some layout-based formatting capabilities are possible
Complex application: Size <warning> to fit page depth.
Layout-based documents are NOT lights-out.

34. Formatting Pass Reduction
FOSI needs to be coded to support pass reduction.

35. Short Documents
Four-page Newsletter example from final FOSI tutorial “Putting it al together.” Contains a little bit of everything in a short document.

36. A Few “Outside the Box” Examples
Reset footnotes on each page
Generate print report
Generate HTML
Examples follow

37. Continuing Page Footnotes
Arbortext Editor’s does not directly support resetting footnotes on each page, but it is possible with atipl tags

38. Page Footnotes Reset with Page Layout Tags
With atipl markup, footnote numbering can be reset on each page.

39. FOSI-Generated External ASCII file
FOSI-generated “Print Report” for print vendor
Generated file can include fielded data so file can be read by ACL and other scripting. Example: Automatically break long manual into volumes based on total page count and chapter page counts.

40. FOSI-Generated HTML with XSLT Post-Processing
FOSI instantaneously transforms block elements to HTML and writes .htm file. XSLT post-processing quickly changes inline tags to HTML.

41. FOSI-generated HTML with XSLT Post-processing
Example: Works with SGML as well as XML.

42. Why Go Native? 3. Easiest development and maintenance
Arbortext Editor has two powerful interfaces for native FOSI development and maintenance
Style panels interface
Tagged editor
XSL-FO interface is tagged editor only
Styler™ interface allows access to just a subset of FOSI capabilities
Styler allows some FOSI extensions (if you know FOSI)
Styler is good for assigning basic formatting and learning the concepts of context and occurrence, but can be time-consuming to work with for everything else. Things that are easy in native FOSI may not be easy with Styler.

43. Style Panels Interface
User-friendly terminology
Great for getting started with FOSI
Be in more than one place in the FOSI stylesheet at the same time
Start the matching style panel from the document
Designed specifically for FOSI development and maintenance.

44. FOSI Components
Organizes the FOSI so you can be in more than one place at the same time

45. Text Variables, Counters
Panels can be open at the same time

46. Float Locations, Character Fills
Float locations and character fills

47. Start Panel from Document
Ensures formatting is applied to the desired element.

48. Style Panels Interface
Resolve — great tool for debugging
Query — finds elements and more
Automatic calculation of page layout
Special features of style panels interface

49. Resolved Element Formatting
Trace each property to where it is set

50. Resolved Element Processing
Programmatic aspects of FOSI (Savetext and Usetext).

51. Attribute Rules
Attribute rules test and use document attributes

52. Query
Other Query capabilities including find elements by expression

53. Page Layout Panel
The column width and depth are calculated from margin, gutter, header, and footer dimensions.

54. Tagged Editor OutSpec.dtd elements and attributes Command line
Show IDs
Link from the style panels to the tagged editor
Start style panel from tagged editor
Tagged editor is based on the Arbortext Editor Edit window

55. OutSpec.dtd Elements and Attributes
Charfill, counter, stringdecl, floatloc shown in style panels in previous slides.
me for a copy of the OutSpec FOSI used here to add color to the tagged editor.

56. Familiar Dialogs
FOSI is an SGML document without text. Use same keyboard shortcuts as in Edit window. For example, control+d to open a dialog.

57. Show IDs
FOSI=SGML doc, utilizes ID/IDREF linking

58. Command Line
Enter ACL commands to search, navigate, and change FOSI

59. Link to Tagged Editor
Start style panel from document, then link to the same location in the tagged editor.

60. Start Style Panel from Tagged Editor

61. Conclusions
FOSI speed, capabilities, and tools for development and maintenance:
Make simple applications easy
Make complex applications feasible
Speed ultimately depends on computing resources.
Learn only as much FOSI as you need to. For example, FOSI Quickstart Tutorials Part 1 and PTC/Arbortext’s FOSI Stylesheet Workshop Part 1.

62. Conclusions
Tight integration with ACL helps support complex applications
ACL can call other scripting
Example 1: Client documents had an indexflag element with attributes that contained numbers for index entries (for Xyvision). The FOSI calls ACL which gets the numbers and calls some other scripting that consults a file with the numbers and their meaning, and returns the wording to the FOSI, which adds it to the index. VERY FAST PROCESS! The decoded wording showed in the Edit window immediately.
Example 2: Business rule said <warning> must fit in one column. ACL formats for just the warning to see if it fits. If not, it sets a variable which the FOSI uses to decrease the font size and leading. The process repeats until the warning fits page depth or the print is too small. Application is an Owner’s Manual ~250pages. Runs FAST!

63. = powerful resources for publishing applications with Arbortext Editor
Conclusions
FOSI + UDTs + pseudo-attributes + Touchup tags + atict markup + atipl markup + ACL variables + ACL functions + other scripting
= powerful resources for publishing applications with Arbortext Editor
Native FOSI supports the most possibilities. Examples: CPA and line-numbering

64. Resources My FOSI Quickstart Tutorials and Essential FOSI
Part 1 Tutorials Part 2 Tutorials Book (available soon) (for screen and print) (for print only)
My web site
Arbortext Editor Help
PTC/Arbortext’s FOSI Stylesheet Design Workshops
Arbortext/Editor/tutorials/28001C/28001C.sgm
Web site has checklist; FYI tips, tricks, and code; book excerpts; place to purchase tutorials via credit card or Paypal ( me to order by Purchase Order); book pre-orders.
Arbortext FOSI workshop are available as Parts 1 and 2)
Jason Aiken’s presentation So You Want To Be a FOSI Developer.

65. “WYSIWYG is last-century technology!”
My personal opinion  65 65

66. Questions? 66 66