A multi-format variable data template wrapper extending podis PPML-T standard

ABSTRACT

Variable Data Print (VDP) has fueled the need for increasingly sophisticated tools and capabilities with every solution vendor providing different approaches and techniques.

Nevertheless, it is possible to provide a unified wrapperaround these different XML formats that will facilitate the exchange of templates and/or import/export into otherformats.

The proposed solution compares favourably with Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) provision for WebServices. The SOAP wrapper provides the protocol which allows the contained message to be expressed in differentformats (described using XML Schemas). This enables the interoperability between services encapsulating their specific implementations and only exposes the methods and their parameters. This proposal builds on similar concepts separating a template into three parts: the template, the binding and the data. Each part has its own format and "embedded" semantics.

REFERENCES

• 1: McDowell, D., Variable Data Printing What? Where? Standards!, IPA Bulletin, 005, 22--26.
• 2: Roth, J., Variables: a VDP Primer, American Printer, November 2003, Volume 232, Issue 2, 49--50, 52--3.
• 3: Sorce, P and Pletka, M. Data-Driven Print., RIT Cary Graphic Arts Press, Rochester, NY. 70--78.
• 4: International Standards Organization (ISO), TC130: Standardization of terminology, test methods and specifications in the field of printing and graphic technology from the original provided to finished products, http://www.iso.org
• 5: The Committee for Graphic Arts Technologies Standards (CGATS), Application Notes for CGATS.20 (PPML/VDX), NPES, Reston, VA, 2004, 6--17.
• 6: Mishina, M., Real-world Variable-data Printing, American Printer, March 2003, Volume 230, Issue 6, 30--33.
• 7: W3C, XML Schema W3C Recommendation, http://www.w3.org/XML/Schema
• 8: W3C, eXtensible Stylesheet Language - Formatting Objects (XSL-FO) 1.1 W3C Recommendation, 2006, http://www.w3.org/TR/xsl/
• 9: W3C, Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) 1.1 W3C Recommendation, 2003, http://www.w3.org/TR/SVG11/
• 10: W3C, SOAP 1.2 W3C Recommendation, 2003, http://www.w3.org/TR/soap12-part1/
• 11: Giannetti, F., Generic Architecture for Professional Authoring Environments to Export XML Based Formats, IST&T SPIE Conference 2007, San Jose, CA.
• 12: Giannetti, F and Sellman R, Anvil: VDP Segmented Workflow Toolset, HP Labs Technical Report, Bristol, UK, 2007, http://www.hpl.hp.com/techreports/2007/HPL-2007-18.html
• 13: Print On Demand initiative (PODi), http://www.podi.org/
• 14: PODi, Personalized Print Markup Language - Templating 1.0 (PPML-T), 2002, http://www.podi.org/
• 15: W3C, eXtensible Stylesheet Language - Transformations (XSL-T) Version 1.0 W3C Recommendation, 1999, http://www.w3.org/TR/xslt
• 16: PODi, Personalized Print Markup Language (PPML) 2.2, 2006, http://www.podi.org/
• 17: Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), MIME Media Types, http://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.7 DOCUMENT AND TEXT PROCESSING
      I.7.2 Document Preparation
          Subjects: Format and notation

Additional Classification:
  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.7 DOCUMENT AND TEXT PROCESSING
      I.7.2 Document Preparation
          Subjects: Desktop publishing; Markup languages; Standards
      I.7.4 Electronic Publishing

General Terms:
Design, Documentation, Languages, Standardization, Theory

Keywords:
PPML, PPMLT, SOAP, SVG, XML, XSL-FO, XSLT, document exchange, template, variable data print