Oral History Markup Language

This prototype was created as an XML/XSL practice exercise. I originally used the Microsoft MSXML package to parse the XML file and validate it against a DTD (Document Type Definition), and the Microsoft XSL ActiveX control to translate the XML to HTML. In December, 1998, the XSL draft standard changed, and Microsoft stopped offering MSXML and the XSL ActiveX control. Instead, Internet Explorer 5.0 includes a built-in XML parser and support for part of the latest XSL draft standard. The examples below are designed to work with this product. More information about Microsoft's support of XML is available at http://msdn.microsoft.com/xml

The basis of the project is an oral history transcript, marked up using my prototype Oral History Markup Language, which can be displayed in two different formats. To view these formats, follow the links below. Note: These examples will only work in browsers that support XML and XSL (such as Internet Explorer 5.0).

1. Labelled display, citation with abstract
2. Table of contents
3. Complete transcript, minus interview location and indexing

• An oral history transcript, marked up in the Oral History Markup Language and saved as an XML document.
• A document type definition (DTD) for the Oral History Markup Language
• An XSL stylesheet for each display format:
  1. Labelled display, citation with abstract and indexing
  2. Table of contents
  3. Complete transcript, minus interview location

Though it is primitive, this project illustrates some important functions of XML and XSL, to wit:

• Creation of a new markup language using XML, with tags that indicate the meaning and structure of an oral history transcript
• Use of XSL to display an XML document in HTML
• Use of XML and XSL to provide several output formats for a single document