Proprietary Standards
Proprietary standards are privately owned, developed and maintained
specifications that have been created by commercial companies.
Proprietary standards for electronic publication such as Adobe Acrobat and iPIX usually consist of two components: an
authoring tool that exists as a commercial product, and a freely distributed
viewing tool, frequently in the form of a plug-in for web browser software. The authoring tool can include hardware as well as software, and is frequently expensive. Users of proprietary authoring tools and client tools are sometimes also expected to pay licensing fees to their creators.
What proprietary standards claim to offer potential users is an extension of the capabilities of basic electronic publishing formats. Acrobat (or PDF)
documents, for example, retains exact page layout characteristics, including
font formatting. Other proprietary standards might offer increased document
security, 3-dimensional panoramic photography, and so on.
Publishers considering the use of proprietary standards should weight the
value of added functionality against both the cost of authoring tools and the recognized preference of readers and consumers for open standards. Webopedia notes
that 'Increasingly, proprietary architectures are seen as a disadvantage.
Consumers prefer open and standardized architectures, which allow them to mix and match products from different manufacturers.'
Following are a few of the currently popular proprietary formats:
The 8-bit GIF (Graphic Interchange Format), invented by CompuServe in the
1980s, is still the most common graphic format on the Internet. They are small in size, viewable by all graphic Web browsers, and possess useful
characteristics, such as the capacity for animation, interlacing and
transparency.
Because the lossless LZW compression algorithm used by GIFs is proprietary (it is owned by Unisys), some Web site designers have abandoned the use of GIFs in favour of PNGs, but the GIF remains a useful and versatile format.
Characteristics
GIFs are most appropriate for line graphics or non-photographic images.
Because GIFs (like PNGs) support transparency, it is easy to make them fit
seamlessly into the environment of a Web page. Like JPEGs, GIFs can also be
interlaced and loaded gradually, but this is rarely necessary for smaller
images.
There are two versions of the GIF format, the GIF87a, which allows for
transparency and interlacing, and the GIF89a, which is also capable of being
animated. Animated GIFs allow for a certain amount of novelty, but have little practical value, and they can become quite large. When producing an animated GIF, be sure to follow the procedures your software recommends for optimizing the GIF's size.
Applications
Most of the line-art graphics on Web pages are GIFs. Use them for spot
illustrations or basic elements of Web pages such as logos and buttons.
Examples
Many online repositories, including The Online Image Archive
contain extensive collections of GIFs.
Resources
This article on
WebReference provides information on optimizing the size of GIF files.
This page,
which contains useful information on a nnumber of graphic file formats,
provides copies of the GIF87a specification,
the GIF89a
specification, and an explanation of GIF
compression.
'The GIF
Controversy: A Software Developer's Perspective' is an article on the
issues surrounding the use of LZW compression in GIFs.
RTF
Characteristics
Another option is RTF, or Rich Text Format. RTF is a standard which
Microsoft Corporation developed for specifying the internal formatting of
documents. In other words, RTF is a kind of minimal word-processor format. At their core, RTF files are ASCII files with hidden commands that provide a
computer with formatting information about fonts, margins, and so on.
Applications
RTF is especially useful for ensuring that some basic formatting remains
while also making it possible for people using older hardware and software
packages to access documents (backwards compatibility). Documents in manuscript form are often submitted to the designer or printer in RTF versions to ensure compatibility.
Examples
This case
history provides an example of the usefulness of RTF templates for
generating reports that can be read ona wide variety of platforms.
Resources
The RTF
specification can be found in Microsoft's MSDN Online Library.
For those publishers interested in exploring the possibilities of RTF, this directory contains RTF
Tools, software for performing RTF document conversion, as well as copies of
the Microsoft RTF Specification documents.
Word Documents (.doc)
Characteristics
Microsoft Word is far and away the most popular word processor in use. The files it produces, sometimes called '.doc' documents, because they are usually appended with the '.doc' extension for easy identification, are proprietary and cannot be opened by all text editors.
Applications
If a publisher knows that all of the readers of its documents have access to Microsoft Word (for example, on a corporate or government extranet), and is interested in taking advantage of Word's ability to include charts, tables and images, it may consider publishing in a straight .doc format. In any other instance, it's prudent to use RTF or plain text, which also elimintates the possibility of distributing the macro viruses which Word documents occasionally carry.
Examples
The Association for Progressive Communications
(APC) provides all of the documents for their Mission-Driven
Business Planning Toolkit in downloadable PDF, Word 97, and RTF versions as
well as HTML. See this case study for more
information.
Resources
This site www.looneyg.com/archive/mswrd.html features a
free application that allows those PC users who do not have Word to open and
view Word documents. It provides access to Word's zoom, outline, and page
layout views, as well as headers/footers, footnotes, and annotations.
PDF
Characteristics
PDF ('Portable Document Format') files are created by Adobe's Acrobat
technology, which captures formatting information from word processors and
desktop publishing programs such as Quark XPress,
and embeds it in the digital document in order to ensure that layout remains
consistent both on screen and in printed form.
Applications
PDFs are ideal for the presentation of short documents with complex
formatting, such as printable forms. PDFs are increasingly being used for many
kinds of documentation, such as hardware and software manuals, and government
and professional publications, but literary and arts documents are also
starting to appear in PDF versions.
Examples
Broken Jaw Press, a small
Canadian literary press, makes many of its publications available in PDF form,
and distributes them through Publishing
Online. This case study provides more
information about Broken Jaw's online publication program.
Resources
Adobe ePaper Solutions
provides links to both Adobe's free and retail Acrobat-related software, as
well as to tutorials, an online PDF converter and a PDF content server which
allows users to package and distribute Adobe PDF eBooks directly from their Web
sites.
eBooks Central
provides news about the parts of the eBook world that relate specifically to
Adobe's technology. This page also has resource links and a community forum for
those interested in discussing the technology with their peers.
Microsoft Reader
Characteristics
Microsoft Reader is a combination of a proprietary format for eBooks
(documents with the '.lit' extension) and an accompanying software application.
It makes use of ClearType anti-aliasing technology to present type with less
eyestrain.
Applications
Publishers interested in testingthe effectiveness of Microsoft's nascent
content and rights management technologies may wish to try producing
publications in the Reader format. In many respects, this is a competing
technology with Adobe's PDF, which already has a considerable lead in the marketplace.
Examples
Barnes and
Noble stocks a wide variety of Microsoft Reader eBooks.
Resources
Microsoft's ReaderTools
page rpovides downloads for both their 'Read in Microsoft Reader' conversion
software, and third-party tools that will convert Word documents, HTML or
desktop publishing files to Reader format. The nsite also provides tools for
developers, style guides, and information on digital rights management.
Macromedia Director and Flash
Characteristics
Macromedia Flash is a vector-based tool for creating low-bandwidth
animations, presentations and other forms of dynamic content. It offers
scripting capabilities and server-wide connectivity for creating applications,
Web interfaces, and training courses. Flash files can be viewed through most
browsers equipped with the Macromedia Flash Player plug-in.
Macromedia Director Shockwave Studio is a similar but more sophisticated
product for the development of 3D entertainment, interactive product
demonstrations, online learning applications and other types of interactive
media on the Web, CDs, DVDs and corporate intranets. Macromedia's Shockwave
Player, which plugs in to most Web browsers, is required to view online content
created with Director Shockwave Studio; most Director Shockwave publications on
CD-ROM and other types of media are stand-alone and do not require further
software to run, though their hardware requirements can be intensive.
Applications
Though Flash may be used to design interfaces for Web Sites, this severely
limits access to such sites. Flash is most appropriate for the presentation of
short online animations.
Likewise, Director Shockwave Studio is very impressive, but will only
function well on multimedia PCs equipped with high-end sound and video cards
and fast processors. Its scripting language is very powerful, but also
difficult to master; thus, the financial layout for Director Shockwave publications
may be quite high.
Examples
Sites presenting short animated films, such as Camp Chaos and Hahabonk, rely heavily on Flash to present
their content. Macromedia's Showcase
page details a number of sites that have used their technology to good effect.
Resources
Macromedia's Web Site provides
downloads of their products, as well as links to online galleries, resources,
tuto rials and discussion forums.
eBook Hardware Platforms
Characteristics
In current usage, the term 'eBook' or 'eBook reader' can refer to either
hardware or software. This document has already discussed some of the types of
software eBooks; eBook Hardware Platforms, on the other hand, are small
handheld or 'palmtop' computers that are capable of accessing various types of
(usually proprietarily formatted) electronic publications.
Applications
Most eBook readers are still in the developmental stage, and existing models
are still primitive, expensive and in limited circulation. Committing to the
exclusive production of electronic publications for an eBook reader, especially
if a proprietary format is required, is unadvisable at this time.
Examples
At the time of this writing, the best known eBook reader is the GemStar
eBook (formerly Rocket eBook). In January 2000, Gemstar-TV Guide International
announced its entry into the electronic book business through the acquisition
of NuvoMedia, Inc., makers of the Rocket eBook, and SoftBook Press Inc., makers
of the SoftBook Reader. The GemStar
eBook Web Site includes information for publishers interested in publishing
for their eBook platform, including a contact form.
Resources
about.com provides a detailed listing of current
eBook reader platforms with links to the manufacturers' pages. Those
interested in publishing eBooks for various types of handhelds might also want
to peruse netread's index
of resources and professional organizations.
The
Association of Electronic Publishers (AEP) is a self-policing organization
whose members attempt to assure that high standards of trustworthiness,
professionalism and quality are maintained within electronic publishing.
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