Standard Generalized Markup Language - Standard Versions

Standard Versions

SGML is an ISO standard: "ISO 8879:1986 Information processing — Text and office systems — Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML)", of which there are three versions:

  • Original SGML, which was accepted in October 1986, followed by a minor Technical Corrigendum.
  • SGML (ENR), in 1996, resulted from a Technical Corrigendum to add extended naming rules allowing arbitrary-language and -script markup.
  • SGML (ENR+WWW or WebSGML), in 1998, resulted from a Technical Corrigendum to better support XML and WWW requirements.

SGML is part of a trio of enabling ISO standards for electronic documents developed by ISO/IEC JTC1/SC34 (ISO/IEC Joint Technical Committee 1, Subcommittee 34 – Document description and processing languages) :

  • SGML (ISO 8879)—generalized markup language
    • SGML was reworked in 1998 into XML, a successful profile of SGML. Full SGML is rarely found or used in new projects.
  • DSSSL (ISO/IEC 10179)—document processing and styling language based on Scheme.
    • DSSSL was reworked into W3C XSLT and XSL-FO which use an XML syntax. Nowadays, DSSSL is rarely used in new projects apart from Linux documentation.
  • HyTime—Generalized hypertext and scheduling.
    • HyTime was partially reworked into W3C XLink. HyTime is rarely used in new projects.

SGML is supported by various technical reports, in particular

  • ISO/IEC TR 9573 – Information processing – SGML support facilities – Techniques for using SGML
    • Part 13: Public entity sets for mathematics and science
      • In 2007, the W3C MathML working group agreed to assume the maintenance of these entity sets.

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