Steve,
Thanks for your interest in Xena 4.0.
Xena's output is valid XML, though in many cases what you'll see is some XML
textual data in what we call the 'wrapper' of a file (header and footer),
and some base64 encoded content (possibly also XML, depending on the file
format being treated) in between. In the general case, repurposing files
created as .xena files involves stripping the XML wrapper and exporting the
content to a file with whatever name suits you. This is what the Export
button in the viewer does.
On the question of PDF/A, there is much could be said and I suspect that for
some it's a religious debate, but here are a couple of things to consider:
1. PDF is not a good preservation format for something like a spreadsheet
where cell formulae are important.
2. Fewer tools exist (compared with XML) for working programmatically with
PDF to re-use content and fewer tools still work with PDF/A.
3. Adobe's business model relies on adding features to PDF, which is fine
until someone wants to archive those features.
So we preserve core version 1.4 open spec PDF as... PDF, but we don't use
PDF as a preservation format for anything that originates in another
document format.
To get a handle on these sorts of subtleties, I urge you to download Xena
4.0, have a play with it and examine its various outputs via your tools of
choice.
Regards,
Michael Carden
Technical Manager
Digital Preservation
National Archives of Australia
61 2 6212 6223
http://naa.gov.au
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Steve Norris [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2007 8:24 PM
> To: John Lovejoy; [log in to unmask]
> Subject: RE: National Archives of Australia releases Xena 4.0
>
> Hi Michael,
>
> This looks very interesting, particularly in that you have an
> API rather
> than just a desktop application.
> May I ask a couple of questions ?
>
> 1) Is the output standard XML (I wondered why a .xena extension) ?
> 2) Do you have a rationale for using XML rather than PDF/A ?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Steve
> http://www.alliancegroup.co.uk
>
>
>
>
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