Standard generalized markup language
Standard generalized markup language
Standard generalized markup language definition
Standard generalized markup language (SGML) refers to a standardized metalanguage used for defining the structure and type of documents. SGML provides a way to describe the content in a document (like paragraphs, headings, and lists) without defining how the content should look or be presented. It served as the basis for other markup languages like HTML (used for web pages) and XML (a versatile markup language with various applications).
SGML’s primary goal is to represent the structure and content of documents in a standardized way, separate from how they look. This makes it powerful for applications where the logical structure and integrity of the content are paramount, such as technical documentation or legal documents.
See also: html tag
How does standard generalized markup language work
- Define a DTD. First, you need a DTD (document type definition), which defines the structure of your document.
- Write the document. Once you have a DTD, you can begin using tags defined in the DTD to structure your content.
- Parse the document. Use a SGML parser to check the document against the DTD to ensure it follows the rules.
- Processing. After parsing, you can use a variety of tools to process the document. Due to the document’s defined structure, these tools can render the document for display, extract specific parts of the document, or transform the document into another format.