# Presentation: 016838

## Tabular Data – Creation, Conversion and Rendering for OFR Publishing

**Tabular Data – Creation, Conversion and Rendering for OFR Publishing**

- Presentation for the XML Working Group
- June 16, 2004
- Valerie Voci and Ed Schulke

## Agenda

- Overview of DSCS
- Tabular data background information
- Project overview- HOLC
- Table creation, conversion and rendering demonstration
- EPA-OPPTS requirements
- Q&A

## DSCS Staff in Attendance

- Mark Anstey, CEO
- Ed Schulke, CIO
- Valerie Voci, VP, Business Development

## Company Overview

- Since 1994
- Leader in XML-based content solutions
- Programmatic collection, conversion, validation and delivery of data
- Premier clients - government agencies and commercial publishers
- CMM level 3 compliant in Q4-2004

## Additional Services & Products

- Software Tools
- DTD And Schema Development
- XML Software Application Customization
- Federal Government Data Products In XML
- U.S. Federal Register, U.S. Congressional Record, U.S. House and Senate Committee Reports, U.S. House and Senate Bills, The Congressional Research Service's Bill Digest

## HOLC Tabular Data Project

- Determine how to enhance the current HOLC authoring tool in order to manage all aspects of tabular data in legislative documents and implement chosen approach

## 3 Phase Approach

- Phase One
- Gather project requirements
- Phase Two
- Develop software design and implementation strategy
- Phase Three
- Develop and deploy software

## Phase One Results

- Interviewed HOLC, GPO, LCS and Approps
- Template driven approach
- Tabular data in XyWrite not WYSIWYG
- Most HOLC users not “experts” in bellcode
- Microsoft® Word frequently referenced
- Whole document rendered to review tables and then modified as needed

## Findings

- 106th Congress Analyzed
- 2,880 total tables in 426 bills
-  2 Columns		     68 Tables	  2.36%
-  3 Columns		   352 Tables	12.22%
-  4 Columns		   146 Tables	  5.07%
-  5 Columns 		     15 Tables	  0.52%
-  6 Columns		     40 Tables	  1.39%
-  7 Columns		     50 Tables	  1.74%
-  8 Columns		2,199 Tables	76.35%
-  9 Columns 		       5 Tables	  0.17%
- 10 Columns & above	       5 Tables	  0.14%

## Desired Features

- GUI to select template
- Ability to render just table
- Reduce need to understand bellcode
- WYSIWYG capability
- Use GUI to modify attributes
- Ability to create new templates
- Provide context sensitive messages and help

## Release Strategy

- One
- Provide users with template GUI for familiarity and feedback
- Two
- Provide more customization and incorporate feedback from Release One
- Three
- Provide advanced features

## How XML is Used

- XMetaL has native understanding of CALS (OASIS) table model
- XML modified for bellcode needs
-  e.g., leadering, flush-hang
- Template selection populates all necessary attributes
- XSLT used to convert to bellcode

## How Software Works

## Demonstration of HOLC Tool

- Bellcode table
- 2 Column Entry
- 2 Column Tax Table (with calculations)
- 6 Column Military
- Table Utilities

## Requirements : EPA-OPPTS Table Tool

- Software components enable a variety of XML authoring tools to create valid SGML/XML tables for the *Federal Register*
- Tables must compose properly using the GPO’s MicroComp composition software
- Please see the SRS Document

## Functionality : EPA-OPPTS Table Tool

- CREATION - tables created in CALS+
- CONVERSION - CALS+ to SGML/XML - CALS+ to bellcode - SGML/XML to CALS+ - SGML/XML to bellcode - bellcode to CALS+ - bellcode to SGML/XML
- RENDERING - create a PDF from valid SGML/XML of a table or entire FEDREG document

## Phase Two - Design

- Please see the Design Specifications
- Software interacts with XML authoring tool via DLL
- Table shell in CALS+ format
- 6 conversion routines
- Table rendering - SGML/XML table into PDF via MicroComp

## Next Steps

- DLL delivered incrementally to vendors
- End of September delivery of tested, documented, and approved software
- Customization available
- SIS program for FedReg publishing

## Contact Information

- DataStream Conversion Services
- 387 Technology Drive
- College Park, MD 20742
- Ed Schulke, _[eschulke@dscs.com](mailto:eschulke@dscs.com)_, 301-405-2553
- Valerie Voci, _[vvoci@dscs.com](mailto:vvoci@dscs.com)_, 301-405-8510
- Mark Anstey, _[manstey@dscs.com](mailto:manstey@dscs.com)_, 301-405-1896
- www.dscs.com