ASRL GlossaryASRL Glossary

These definitions are for terms found in this library and MIL-STD-2361, and are based on those available in ISO 8879-1986.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

   A

Abstract
A term for a user provided narrative entry, which describes, defines, or synopsizes an asset.

APD
Army Publishing Directorate

ASCII
American Standard Code for Information Interchange

ASRL
Army SGML/XML Registry and Library

Attribute (of an element)
A qualifier indicates a property of an element, other than its type (which is done by a generic identifier) or its content (which is delimited by start-tags and end-tags). Attributes are only found on start-tags, and can indicate reference identifiers, confidentiality, formatting information, and so on.

Attribute Definition
A member of an attribute definition list within an attribute list declaration. It declares an attribute name, specifies the form and SGML-specific aspects of possible values, and specifies the action (such as providing a default value) to be taken if an attribute's value is not specified. In the display under ATTRIBUTE (DEFINITION) LIST DECLARATION, each attribute definition is shown as: 
name_of_attribute allowable_values default

Attribute (Specification) List
Markup that is a set of one or more attribute specifications, shown as: 

attribute="value" attribute="value" attribute="value"
The markup is used within a Start Tag, as in: 
<element_name attribute="value" attribute="value" attribute="value"

Attribute (Definition) List Declaration
A markup declaration that associates an attribute definition list with one or more element types, shown as: 
<ATTLIST name_of_associated_element(s) 

      name_of_attribute allowable_values  default

   C

CALS
Continuous Acquisition and Life-Cycle Support

CFS
Center for Standards

CITIS
Contractor Integrated Technical Information Service

Constructs
Document type definitions (DTDs), style sheet (i.e. FOSI, DSSSL), and SGML/XML tag narrative definitions.

CSL
CALS SGML Library

CSR
CALS SGML Registry

   D

Data-oriented
The SGML/XML document instance used for data referencing, i.e. database. The SGML document instance is used to populate data management system, which is used in various ways as reference information, developing publication, source for EP/IEP, etc.

DCA
Document Class Authority

DDRS
Defense Data Repository System

Declaration
The SGML declaration defines which characters are used in a document instance, which syntax the DTD is written in, which SGML features are used, and so on. It is supposed to accompany each SGML document, although default to the one described in the standard may be assumed.

DISA
Defense Information Systems Agency

Document Instance
The instance is the actual document text and its accompanying SGML tags conforming to the specifications and restrictions set forth in the DTD.

Document Type Declaration
A markup declaration that contains the formal specifications of a document type definition, shown as: 
<DOCTYPE document_type_name optional_external_identifier

 [optional_document_type_declaration_subset ]
The declaration invokes a DTD in an SGML document. The document instance of an SGML document must always be preceded by a document type declaration.

Document Style Semantics and Specification Language (DSSSL)
DSSSL defines, in ISO/IEC 10179:1996(E), the semantics, syntax, and processing model of two languages for the specification of document processing:
  1. The transformation language for transforming SGML documents marked up in accordance with one or more DTDs into other SGML documents marked up in accordance with other DTDs.
  2. The style language, where the result is achieved by applying a set formatting characteristics to portions of the data, and the specification is, therefore, as precise as the application requires, leaving some formatting decision, such as line-end and column-end decisions, to the composition and layout process.

Document Type Definition (DTD)
A DTD, or Document Type Definition, is an SGML or XML construct used to rigorously and unambiguously describe the structure and content of classes of documents in terms of SGML/XML instances (elements, attributes, entities, etc.). NOTE: "'DTD' is occasionally-but not in compliance with ISO 8879 terminology- used as an abbreviation for 'document type declaration'; it is also an SGML reserved word used in formal public identifiers to indicate that the identified entity is a document type declaration set, and is often used to identify such a set."

DoD
Department of Defense

DODISS
Department of Defense Index of Specifications and Standards

DSSSL
Document Style Semantics and Specification Language (See definition)

DTD
Document Type Definition

   E

e-i-c
Element in Context

Electronic Publication
An electronic page-based representation that provides concise, user-friendly information for instruction, repair, policy or guidance. The EP may interact with other EP or IEP information.

Element
A component of the hierarchical structure defined by a document type declaration or DTD. It is identified in a document instance by descriptive markup, usually a start-tag and end-tag, shown as: 
<element_type_name attribute=value attribute=value>

content of the element

</element_type_name>

Element Type Declaration
A markup declaration that contains the formal specification of the part of the definition of an element type that deals with the content and markup minimization, shown as: 
<!ELEMENT element_type_name start_tag_minimization end_tag_minimization

 content_model_group_or_declared_content content_exceptions>

Entity
A unit of information that may be referred to by a symbol in a DTD or in a document instance. Entities may be used for character strings, characters that cannot be keyed in on a keyboard, or for separate files that may be or may not contain SGML data.

Entity Reference
A reference that is replaced by an entity, shown as: &entity_name; or %entity_name; the ampersand is used for general entities (referenced in the document element); the percent sign is used for parameter entities (typically referenced in the document type declaration).

EP
Electronic Publication

ETM
Electronic Technical Manual

Extensible Markup Language (XML)
Extensible Markup Language, as specified in REC-xml-19980210, is a subset of SGML and requires conformance to ISO 8879.

   F

Formatting Output Specification Instance (FOSI)
An instance of the Output Specification (OS) that assigns values to the style characteristics for a particular document type declaration. The FOSI uses the syntax of an SGML/XML document instance and is designed to format documents for paper delivery.

FOSI
Formatting Output Specification Instance

FPI
Formal Public Identifier

   G

GCSS-A
Global Combat Support System — Army

   I

IAW
In Accordance With

IEP
Interactive Electronic Publication

IETM
Interactive Electronic Technical Manual

IGES
Initial Graphics Exchange Specification

Interactive Electronic Publication
A computerized screen-based representation that provides interaction with weapon system, instructor, student or technician. The IEP can provide training feedback, troubleshoot, fault isolation, and/or training instruction. The functionality is provided by communicating and interacting with selected weapon system components.

IPSC
Information Processing Standards for Computers

ISO
International Organization for Standardization

ISO 8879 Information Processing
Text and Office Systems - Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) completely specifies the SGML Meta-language with regard to the grammar and syntax required for the SGML language along with the features that may be optionally enabled for a given SGML application. In addition, ISO 8879 also specifies various procedures for processing SGML notation.

   L

LSA
Lead Standardization Activity

   M

Markup
The process of adding formatting or other processing commands to a text.

   O

Objects
SGML elements, entities, attributes of elements, public identifiers, notations, and standard tagging schemes.

OS
Output Specification

Output Specification (OS)
An OS, or Output Specification, provides a rigorously defined set of options for the style characteristics, which provide the formatting intent for interchanged SGML-tagged technical publications. The OS has a mechanism for binding the style characteristics to SGML elements and attributes in a document's DTD. The OS is in the form of an SGML DTD. At present, the OS is intended for hard copy composition but can be applied to digital display in limited applications (e.g., non-interactive).

   P

PA
Preparing Activity

Page Fidelity
The ability to preserve the exact presentation characteristics in addition to the same information on pages exchanged between systems or revisions.

Page Integrity
The ability to preserve the exact same information on each page in a manual as it is exchanged between systems or revisions. This does not mean that the information will be presented exactly the same way, but only that it appears between the same page boundaries.

Parsing
An SGML parser is a computer application that breaks down an SGML-coded document into a series of logical elements and checks that these elements conform to the model defined in the associated document type declaration. When parsing a document, the SGML parser:
PDL
Page Description Language

Preparing Activity
The DoD activity or the Civilian Agency responsible for the preparation, coordination, issuance, and maintenance of standardization documents.

   S

SGML
Standard Generalized Markup Language

SGML/XML Constructs
See Constructs

SGML Declaration
An SGML Declaration is an SGML construct, which specifies an SGML implementation in terms of the values of the SGML parameters, character set, concrete syntax, optional features, and capacity requirements and the SGML features used.

SGML Entity
An entity whose characters are interpreted as markup or data IAW ISO 8879.

SGML Instance
An SGML Instance or SGML-tagged document is the collection of data composing a specific document that includes SGML tags (SGML markup) corresponding to elements, their attributes, entity references, etc. The SGML markup conforms to the document's DTD.

SGML Objects
See Objects

SGML Parser
An SGML parser is a computer program or a specialized code compiler called a "parser". An SGML parser first processes (or "parses") an SGML Declaration defining the particular SGML implementation and stores this SGML environment. Then the SGML parser can be used to process (or "parse") a DTD to determine its conformance regarding grammar and syntax to ISO 8879 and the SGML Declaration for that SGML application. The SGML parser can then be used to process an instance of a particular document to determine the conformance of the instance to both SGML grammar and syntax and the DTD.

SMA
Standardized Management Activity

Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML)
Standard Generalized Markup Language, as detailed in ISO 8879 and FIPS Pub 152. SGML is a Meta language that provides a coherent and unambiguous syntax for describing the logical structure of publications in unambiguous grammar. Formalizes the markup process and frees it of system and processing dependencies.

STARS
Software Technology for Adaptable, Reliable Systems

   T

Tag or Tagging
Adding tags (descriptive markups) to document data.

Task
A sequence of user actions with a definite beginning and an end. User tasks relate to installation checkout operation, and maintenance of systems or equipment. Tasks may contain procedures and in turn steps to complete the assigned task.

Technical Publication Verification
This term refers to the parsing of the digital data stream containing a publication to assure compliance with the standard (SGML, CCITT, CGM, IGES) to which it was written. There is no intent in this term to imply the validation/verification process used to certify the content of the publication.

TM
Technical Manual

TRADOC
US Army Training and Doctrine Command

   U

URL
Uniform Resource Locator

   W

Well-formed XML Document
Compliant with REC-xml-19980210 requirements, the basic rules for writing well-formed XML documents -
  1. Start tags must have corresponding end tags
  2. Elements can not overlap
  3. XML tags are case-sensitive
  4. Empty elements must either have an end tag or close the empty tag with "/".
  5. Reserved characters (< & > " ') are replaced with corresponding character sequence (&lt; &amp; &gt; &quot; &apos;)
  6. Each XML document must have a unique root element
  7. Each attribute name in an element is unique
  8. Each attribute name is followed by a value indicator (=) and a quoted string


Work Package
Presentation of information functionally divided into individual task packages in the logical order of work sequence. The work packages shall be stand-alone general information, operating, maintenance, troubleshooting, parts, and supporting information units containing all information required for directing task performance. Work packages may be given to a soldier(s) so they may have complete instructions for accomplishing a task.

WWW
World Wide Web

WYSIWYG
What You See Is What You Get

   X

XML
Extensible Markup Language (See Extensible Markup Language

XML Stylesheet Language
An XSL stylesheet specifies the presentation of a class of XML documents by describing how an instance of the class is transformed into an XML document that uses the formatting vocabulary.

XSL
XML Stylesheet Language (See XML Stylesheet Language

XSL-FO
Extensible Stylesheet Language (See XML Stylesheet Language

XSLT
Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations (See XML Stylesheet Language


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