Communication and information. Cross-Media publishing. Deutscher Drucker report. XML as connecting link between data bank, print, CD-ROM

Mitterweger & Partner Kommunikationsgesellschaft mbH of Plankstadt bei Heidelberg is an information servicer for publishing houses. It produces various media from an integrated stock of data. Battenberg, the imprint of Droemer Weltbild Verlagsgesellschaft of Munich gave the order to Mitterweger & Partner to create a digital workflow from a completely conventional production of the Groβer Deutscher Münzkatalog. Besides the book a CD-ROM was made and an Internet conversion is an option. The author, text registration team, manufacturer, initiating editor, programmer, and typographer were all involved. For the general integrated structuring of the coin data, registration was made in a database mask (Filemaker). Compared with XML -editors the input was simple. In contrast, the input with Word with respect to style does not offer the structural security of a database conversion. Another advantage was the automated allocation of the illustration names into the database. To achieve the Filemaker registration database input from the author was included. The author made the corrections. The type and layout program 3B2 was chosen for the printing environment. The high programmability and the typographic quality of this system were the decisive criteria. Also discussed is the CD-ROM production and other XML/SGML [eXtensibleMarkupLanguage/ StructuredGeneralizedMarkupLanguage] projects. XML/SGML is increasingly making breakthroughs into the production of journals. First, the headers are converted. The conversion of the full text with footnotes and list of publications occurs in the next step. XML/SGML also gains significance in loose leaf books. XML as database for cross-media projects combines the advantage of a higher production security with the possibility to build on standardized production routes. Whoever today recognizes the manifold possibilities that the use of a normalized speech provides finds himself well on the way from preliminary stages to information servicer. Photograph and computer screens.