DocBook 5: The Definitive Guide

If you need a reliable tool for technical documentation, this clear and concise reference will help you take advantage of DocBook, the popular XML schema originally developed to document computer and hardware projects. DocBook 5.0 has been expanded and simplified to address documentation needs in other fields, and it's quickly becoming the tool of choice for many content providers.

DocBook 5: The Definitive Guide is the complete, official documentation of DocBook 5.0. You'll find everything you need to know to use DocBook 5.0's features-including its improved content model-whether you're new to DocBook or an experienced user of previous versions.

• Learn how to write DocBook XML documents
• Understand DocBook 5.0's elements and attributes, and how they fit together
• Determine whether your documents conform to the DocBook schema
• Learn about options for publishing DocBook to various output formats
• Customize the DocBook schema to meet your needs
• Get additional information about DocBook editing and processing

If you're looking to learn DocBook, this is the most authoritative book you'll find on the topic DocBook: The Definitive Guide provides complete details on how to use and customize version 5.0, the latest version of the DocBook XML schema. This thoroughly updated edition is ideal for technical writers, developers looking to customize the schema, tools developers, and managers.

• Find clear descriptions of DocBook's elements and attributes, along with examples of how they can be used
• Get clear instructions for customizing the DocBook schema
• Obtain and refer to the official Docbook 5.0 documentation
• Assess whether Docbook is the right tool for your needs

Norman Walsh is a Principal Technologist at Mark Logic Corporation where he assists in the design and deployment of advanced content applications. Norm is also an active participant in a number of standards efforts worldwide: he is chair of the DocBook Technical Committee at OASIS. At the W3C, he is chair of the XML Processing Model Working Group and also co-chair of the XML Core Working Group.

Richard Hamilton will edit the book and is the author of this proposal. He has over ten years experience leading writing teams and documentation tools teams at AT&T, Novell, and Hewlett-Packard. He is an independent consultant specializing in the application of XML technology to technical documentation, and is also a member of the OASIS DocBook Technical Committee. He is the author of Managing Writers: A Real World Guide to Managing Technical Documentation, published in January, 2009 by XML Press.

Preface; Why Read This Book?; This Book’s Audience; Organization of This Book; Conventions Used in This Book; Using Code Examples; Safari® Books Online; How to Contact Us; Acknowledgments; Introduction; Chapter 1: Getting Started with DocBook; 1.1 A Short DocBook History; 1.2 DocBook V5.0; 1.3 Finally in a Namespace; 1.4 Relaxing with DocBook; 1.5 Why Switch to DocBook V5.0?; 1.6 Schema Jungle; 1.7 Backward Compatibility; Chapter 2: Creating DocBook Documents; 2.1 Making an XML Document; 2.2 Physical Divisions: Breaking a Document into Separate Files; 2.3 Logical Divisions: The Categories of Elements in DocBook; 2.4 Roots: Starting Your DocBook Document; 2.5 Making a DocBook Book; 2.6 Making a Chapter; 2.7 Making an Article; 2.8 Making a Reference Page; 2.9 Making Front and Back Matter; Chapter 3: Validating DocBook Documents; 3.1 ID/IDREF Constraints and Validation; 3.2 Validating Your Documents; 3.3 Understanding Validation Errors; Chapter 4: Publishing DocBook Documents; 4.1 A Survey of Stylesheet Languages; 4.2 Using XSL to Publish DocBook Documents; Chapter 5: Customizing DocBook; 5.1 Should You Do This?; 5.2 If You Change DocBook, It’s Not DocBook Anymore!; 5.3 Customization Layers; 5.4 Writing, Testing, and Using a Customization Layer; 5.5 Removing Elements; 5.6 Removing Attributes; 5.7 Adding Elements; 5.8 Adding Attributes; 5.9 Other Modifications; Reference; Appendixes; Installation; Installing DocBook; DocBook Variants and Future Directions; DocBook Variants; Future Directions; Resources; Latest Versions of DocBook Schemas; DocBook and XML Resources on the Web; Introductory Material on the Web; References and Technical Notes on the Web; World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Recommendations; Related Standards; Internet RFCs; Books and Printed Resources; XML Tools; Interchanging DocBook Documents; GNU Free Documentation License; Glossary; Colophon;