Customizing the NLM Journal Archiving and Interchange 3.0 Tag Sets

March 10, 2010 (9:30 - 5:00, lunch included)

An introduction to the NLM Tag Sets for people who want to make custom versions of any of the tag sets.

While it is possible to create a journal-article tag set “from scratch”, there can be significant advantages to customizing a public model to meet your business needs. Many archives, aggregators, and publishers have chosen to construct tag sets for their journal articles based on the NLM Journal Archiving and Interchange Tag Suite. The Tag Suite was designed and built both to be the basis for several Tag Sets in use at NLM and to be customized (freely and without restriction) for the journal article archiving and interchange needs of other archives, publishers, and libraries.

The NLM Tag Sets were designed to be customized. Customization is easy if you understand the system, and a bit challenging if you don’t. In this seminar, we illustrate one easy way to make your own journal, book, or other textual publishing model starting with one of the Journal Archiving and Interchange Tag Sets (DTD version). We will talk philosophy and current practice using Version 3.0 of the DTDs for examples and then write (in participatory demonstration mode) a brand new DTD using the Suite.

Along the route, we will discuss:

• Suite modeling and construction philosophy
• Parameter entities and overrides (classes, mixes, and attributes)
• Basic DTD modularization
• Tag Set naming conventions
• Best practice for customization and extension modules
• Removing basic Suite structures
• Adding structures or attributes specific to your organization
• Creating a W3C XML Schema (XSD) or RELAX NG schema from your customized DTD

Materials for the Customizing Class: All students will be provided with hardcopy of the lecture slides; machine-readable DTD, modules, and sample XML files for the demonstration DTD we will develop; and a checklist for making an NLM-derivative DTD. This is a demonstration class, so laptops will not be necessary except for note taking.

Prerequisites for the Customizing Class: During the class, we will establish a scenario and build a demonstration DTD. A working knowledge of XML and familiarity with XML DTD construction and syntax is assumed. (Participants without this background may find large portions of the class bewildering.) No knowledge of a specific NLM Tag Set is necessary, although it would be helpful.