Generalized Markup Language (GML) is a set of macros that implement intent-based (procedural) markup tags for the

IBM International Business Machines Corporation (using the trademark IBM), nicknamed Big Blue, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, and present in over 175 countries. It is ...

text formatter,

SCRIPT Script may refer to: Writing systems * Script, a distinctive writing system, based on a repertoire of specific elements or symbols, or that repertoire * Script (styles of handwriting) ** Script typeface, a typeface with characteristics of handw ...

. SCRIPT/VS is the main component of IBM's Document Composition Facility (DCF). A ''starter set'' of tags in GML is provided with the DCF product.

Characteristics

GML was developed in 1969 and the early 1970s by

Charles Goldfarb Charles F. Goldfarb, (born November 26, 1939) is known as the father of Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) and grandfather of HTML and the World Wide Web. He co-invented the concept of markup languages. In 1969 Charles Goldfarb, leading ...

, Edward Mosher and Raymond Lorie (whose surname initials were used by Goldfarb to make up the term GML). Using GML, a document is marked up with tags that define what the

text Text may refer to: Written word * Text (literary theory) In literary theory, a text is any object that can be "read", whether this object is a work of literature, a street sign, an arrangement of buildings on a city block, or styles of clothi ...

is, in terms of

paragraph A paragraph () is a self-contained unit of discourse in writing dealing with a particular point or idea. Though not required by the orthographic conventions of any language with a writing system, paragraphs are a conventional means of organizing ...

s, headers,

list A list is a Set (mathematics), set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of t ...

table Table may refer to: * Table (database), how the table data arrangement is used within the databases * Table (furniture), a piece of furniture with a flat surface and one or more legs * Table (information), a data arrangement with rows and column ...

s, and so forth. The document can then be automatically formatted for various devices. For example, it is possible to format a document for a

laser printer Laser printing is an electrostatic digital printing process. It produces high-quality text and graphics (and moderate-quality photographs) by repeatedly passing a laser beam back and forth over a Electric charge, negatively charged cylinder call ...

or a line (

dot matrix A dot matrix is a 2-dimensional patterned Array data structure, array, used to represent characters, symbols and images. Most types of modern technology use dot matrices for display of information, including mobile phones, televisions, and pri ...

) printer or for a screen by specifying a profile for the device, without changing the document itself. The

Standard Generalized Markup Language The Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML; ISO 8879:1986) is a standard for defining generalized markup languages for documents. ISO 8879 Annex A.1 states that generalized markup is "based on two postulates": * Declarative: Markup should de ...

(SGML), an

ISO The International Organization for Standardization (ISO ; ; ) is an independent, non-governmental, international standard development organization composed of representatives from the national standards organizations of member countries. Me ...

-standard technology for defining generalized

markup language A markup language is a Encoding, text-encoding system which specifies the structure and formatting of a document and potentially the relationships among its parts. Markup can control the display of a document or enrich its content to facilitate au ...

s for documents, is descended from GML. The

Extensible Markup Language Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a markup language and file format for storing, transmitting, and reconstructing data. It defines a set of rules for encoding documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-readable. The Wor ...

(XML) was initially a streamlined and simplified development of SGML, but has outgrown its parent in terms of worldwide acceptance and support.

A GML script example

:h1 id='intr'.Chapter 1: Introduction :p.GML supported hierarchical containers, such as :ol. :li.Ordered lists (like this one), :li.Unordered lists, and :li.Definition lists :eol. as well as simple structures. :p.Markup minimization (later generalized and formalized in SGML), allowed the end-tags to be omitted for the "h1" and "p" elements.

Related programs

In the early 1980s, IBM developed a dedicated publishing tool called Information Structure Identification Language (ISIL) based on GML. ISIL was used to generate much of IBM documentation for the

IBM PC The IBM Personal Computer (model 5150, commonly known as the IBM PC) is the first microcomputer released in the List of IBM Personal Computer models, IBM PC model line and the basis for the IBM PC compatible ''de facto'' standard. Released on ...

and other products at this time. In the late 1980s, a commercial product called BookMaster was developed, based mostly on ISIL. During the early 1980s, Don Williams at IBM developed DWScript to use the SCRIPT/VS on the IBM PC.DWScript - Document Composition Facility for the IBM Personal Computer Version 4.6 Updates, DW-04167, Nov 8th, 1985 In 1986, he developed a PC version of ISIL called DWISIL. These products were used only internally at IBM. IBM uses GML as description language on

IBM i IBM i (the ''i'' standing for ''integrated'') is an operating system developed by IBM for IBM Power Systems. It was originally released in 1988 as OS/400, as the sole operating system of the IBM AS/400 line of systems. It was renamed to i5/OS in 2 ...

and predecessors for objects called "panel groups". Panel groups can present just formatted help text to the user when pressing the help key (often F1), resemble the typical IBM i menus with embedded help texts, or complete application displays with input/output fields, and other TUI elements being formatted on screen according to IBM CUA Standards. The overall facility is called

User Interface In the industrial design field of human–computer interaction, a user interface (UI) is the space where interactions between humans and machines occur. The goal of this interaction is to allow effective operation and control of the machine fro ...

Manager (UIM) and documented in ''Application Display Programming''.

References

External links

* * * * {{Authority control Markup languages Generalized Markup Language

Characteristics

A GML script example

Related programs

See also

References

External links