Section 2.8: Miscellaneous SGML tools


Product:
Conformance Test Suite
Associated Products:
-
Developer:
Exoterica Corp, Inc (Ontario, Canada)
UK Supplier(s):
Exoterica Corp, European Operations (Paris, France)
Price:
1,800 ECU (Payment by Visa accepted)
Platforms:
n/a
Description:
The ISO 8879 SGML Conformance Test Suite is a set of more than 2300 test SGML documents organised into a simple database. There are documents which are "good", that is they contain no errors, and documents which are "bad", that is they contain a single error which must be reported by a parser under test. The agreed upon result of parsing the documents with Reference Application for SGML Testing (RAST) is provided with each test. The disc includes the database along with a simple extraction tool. This tool is provided in executable form for MS-DOS systems and in source code for Unix systems. Each SGML test has been prepared in accordance with ANSI X3.190-1992 and is designed to test only a single aspect of SGML. A particular test is strictly limited to testing a single clause, sentence, or phrase in ISO 8879. A parser which can successfully process results has a high degree of conformance to the standard. However, the SCTS does not test subtle interactions between clauses of the standard. The individual test documents can be viewed by obtaining a copy of `The Compleat SGML' from Exoterica. This CD-ROM contains all of the tests in hypertext linked to the relevant parts of ISO 8879.


Product:
MarkMinder
Associated Products:
HyMinder
Developer:
TechnoTeacher Inc. (USA)
UK Supplier(s):
Price:
$1,500, reducing with quantity.
Platforms:
Sun SPARC. Support for MS-DOS, MS- Windows, Macs and other Unix is planned.
Description:
MarkMinder and HyMinder are SGML and HyTime engines intended for use by persons who are building software applications, including user interfaces. They are written in C++. Neither product has an end-user interface, although many applications can be readily built by adding a user interface.

The MarkMinder engine's object-orientated SGML parser can be used to import SGML documents conforming to arbitrary DTDs. The engine's ISAM database supports object persistence. It has a modular object-orientated design. The MarkMinder engine is required for use with the HyMinder HyTime engine.

The HyMinder engine is a library of C++ objects offering an object-orientated interface to HyTime objects and the constructs they contain. It is implemented as an application of MarkMinder.

Assessment:
Due to its highly specialised nature and the need for considerable additional development required to use it, no assessment of this product has been undertaken.