DMR OpenText, Open Standards, Separating content and structure, Legal and technical publishing
OpenText®
OpenText is the brand used by DMR Limited for its concept of textual data and information management by adherence to Open Standards.
Over many years, DMR have recognised and maintained a distinction between semantic content and the syntactic structures necessary to maintain that content.
OpenText® embodies those ideals.
DMR Limited
DMR has been a software and information company since 1969. The company has changed as the market for information services has changed.
OpenText® is a DMR initiative. DMR
SGML
Document mark-up goes back to the origins of print and the pre-press proof-reader. SGML is a metalanguage within which mark-up languages can be formally defined.
Today, sub-sets of SGML pervade all web and online publishing. The ability to deliver content in a device independent manner relies upon the accuracy and foresight with which the content has been coded.
Separating content from display
Most of us accept that content should be separated from the mode of display or device-specific rendering. Unfortunately, it is often quicker and easier to take a short cut and merge the two, usually intending to tidy it up later.
Part of DMR's OpenText® culture has been the strict adherence to content separation rules. This has made life easier, both within DMR and for the DMR clients. Data structures have been maintained; compromises reduced; and re-usability enhanced.
About OpenText® from DMR Limited
OpenText® is a United Kingdom registered trade mark of DMR Limited for its computer software and computer services.
Established in 1969, DMR has been involved in computer software development across a wide range of industries and wide variety of applications. It has, however, been the growth of the Internet and online publishing that has convinced us of the correctness of our commitment to open standards and the use of structured textual data.
History of DMR's OpenText®
DMR first used the term OpenText in the late 1980's to label some of its development work for Wang Laboratories Inc. Wang were, at that time, extremely committed to their own proprietary standards and DMR were attempting to develop products that would both run on Wang systems and be portable across platforms. DMR produced a range of software tools and products for Wang, including a C-complier; a Prolog compiler; and an integrated Artificial Intelligence layer for Wang word processing.
DMR also developed a cross-compiler for various non-Wang implementations of Cobol to produce a p-code that could be compiled on the Wang VS; and a forms management suite that ran on PC, Unix, and Wang VS and gave device independent output. All of these developments used open standards and were specifically non-proprietary - ideas which were, at that time an anathema to Wang. Subsequently, Wang themselves recognised the importance of cross-platform portability and launched their own range of Open products including their OpenImage and OpenWord. Sadly, this transformation came too late for Wang, and it fell into financial difficulties.
At DMR, we learnt from Wang's mistakes. When DMR was first presented with the difficulties of managing and re-publishing complex and highly formatted legal and technical documents contained in proprietary formats, we realised the importance of adherence to our OpenText standards. From those beginnings, DMTR has been able to embrace and take full advantage of the changing and developing world of online publishing.