Advice on DTD's

[Andrew Wheeler]

Hello,

I am currently working for client that has developed a data model and is
using an XML DTD to describe it. We are using Near and Far to develop
the DTD, but require textual definitions for each of the elements and
attributes. These textual definitons, a Data Element Dictionary, is
required to help developers understand the model (as well as us!). In
Near and Far, and other tools I have seen, you only have the option to
insert a comment, at the element level, not really to describe in great
detail attributes, and their potential values, etc. We would like to
produce the DTD without comments for applications, and some other output
that would document the hierarchical structure of the DTD but with added
bonus of clicking on a element and getting a description for it (We do
not really want to spend time writing bespoke code, which we have to
maintain).

Could somebody please indicate what tools they use to do this job, other
than Near and Far. I am looking for a tool that is fully supported, and
is not somebodies backyard hack (no offence to all that fit into that
category, but my cleint will only buy tools that they feel comfortable
with). I have looked on Robin Cover's site, as well as XMLSOFTWARE, but
the same tools just seem to crop up all the time. Somebody out there
must be having the same problem, or is everybody using this small set of
tools? Or am I asking too much?

Sorry if many people have asked this question a hundred times before but
this is my last resort.

Regards

Andrew

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