I should probably just wait for Jim Hambelton to answer this one, since he is
the one who initially explained it to me, but here goes. SGML is an
international standard for "Standard Generalized Markup Language": it provides
generic coding and standardized markup to describe document elements. The first
edition of this standard was published in 1986, and it is now really catching
on. It's a critical step towards enabling us to freely exchange electronic
documents.
A good short article explaining SGML appears in OCLC Newsletter
(November/December 1992) pp 13-15. According to this article, here's some of
its benefits:
- SGML documents are proecssible on a wide range of text processing
systems;
- All existing text-entry devices are supported, and automated entry or
machine assistance is not required;
- There is no dependency on a particular character set or language;
- SGML is not dependent on any processing system or device;
- SGML accocodates familiar typewriter and word-processing conventions;
- SGML does not require a particular file organization;
- Marked-up text can co-exist with other data;
- SGML documents are readable by humans and machines.
If you don't understnd any of this and want to learn more, I recommend
talking with Jim Hambleton.
- Blair Kauffman
University of Wisconsin Law Library
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