The author is clearly not aware of the OASIS CAM specification - which has been employing content references to allow automated crosswalks for two years+ now. Not exactly "revolutionary" - but we'll let the pass as being good marketing 'ink'.
CAM templates also mean you do NOT have to embed all the syntax into the XML instance - a major advantage for eBusiness transaction processing.
Hi David, I have finally had enough time to look at CAM in detail. I was somewhat hampered in this by the lack of published articles about CAM and the specification document itself, along with a slightly chaotic and disappointing web site. I always worry when I see an XML specification written in MS Word.
Having said all that, I think CAM is a very good technology and I plan to use it as the basis of the localization directives specification which I will be involved with (hopefully) shortly. So thank you for bringing it to my attention. Our exchange has been very useful for me.
However CAM is not a substitute for xml:tm. xml:tm is about embedding and tracking id references in documents, along with DOM differencing. Non of this is achievable as a notation with CAM. CAM can be used as the basis for localization directives though. At the moment xml:tm uses the ‘analysis’ file concept for defining translatable text, inline elements and translatable attributes. CAM offers a better substitution for the analysis file concept as part of a greater localization directives specification initiative.
Thank you very much for your feedback.
There is now a detailed specification for xml:tm available on line at the following URL:
http://www.xml-intl.com/docs/specification/xml-tm.html
as well as a white paper at the following URL:
http://www.xml-intl.com/docs/xml-tm-whitepaper.pdf
These links may provide some more insight concerning the detailed reasons behind the design of xml:tm.
Xml:tm is revolutionary, not in the XML sense – it has a very simple structure, but in the realm of translation memory and its use for XML documents, aligned with the concept of "perfect matching". It leverages the syntax of XML to substantially improve the translation process for XML documents. As far as I am aware (and I have been giving presentations and publishing articles on xml:tm at international symposia for nearly a year) no one has come up with a similar solution for the translation of XML documents.
Even though I participate in two OASIS TCs (Trans WS as a member and XLIFF as an observer) I must admit to not being aware of CAM. This is one of the benefits of publishing articles - you find out about so many interesting things from feedback! It is difficult to keep abreast of all the very useful work being done within OASIS, W3C and Lisa's OSCAR. CAM certainly looks very interesting. I will be studying the complex CAM spec in detail and will reply in due course.
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