Industry Day

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Composition System Replacement (CSR)
Industry Day May 6, 2008
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Agenda
800-830 Arrive at GPO 830-900 Welcome and
Session Objectives Scott Stovall 900-925 Ba
ckground of GPO and Vision for CSR Kirk
Knoll 925-950 Input Types Discussion Kirk
Knoll 950-1015 Content and Processing
Discussion Matt Landgraf 1015-1030 Break 103
0-1050 Layout Discussion Kirk Knoll
1050-1115 User Interface Discussion Matt
Landgraf 1115-1135 Output Discussion Kirk
Knoll 1135-Noon Next steps Kirk Knoll
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GPO CSR Panel

• Joel Reeves
• Lyle Green
• Dannie Young
• Dave Robare
• Matt Landgraf
• Kirk Knoll

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Session Objectives

• Provide industry with enough data and background
  to effectively respond to the material noted in
  the RFI
• Explain the desired functionality identified by
  GPO
• Provide an open forum for GPO and industry to
  discuss these areas and GPOs challenges

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RFI Objectives

• To obtain industry feedback
• Assessment of materials
• Include white papers, and other industry best
  practices
• Budgetary
• To understand possible technology roadmaps
  through capability statements.
• Is COTS support available? (Requirements matrix)
• How soon will COTS support be available?

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GPOs Composition Background

• May 6, 1972birth of Microcomp..
• GPO developed
• Used to compose Congressional and Agency
  documents
• GPO locator codes
• Typesetting specific codes used to compose data
• Approximately 700 utilities have been developed
  to enhance and sustain Microcomp

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Motivations for Change

• To improve workflow processes
• To improve search and retrieval through the use
  of XML
• Seamlessly accept, compose, and output XML
• Reduce GPOs dependency on a system
• not based on industry standard data model
• with limited or no IT support

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GPO Mission

• To provide the three branches of the Federal
  Government with expert publishing and printing
  services.
• To provide perpetual, free and ready public
  access to the printed and electronic information
  published by the Federal Government in
  partnership with Federal Depository libraries.
• To distribute, on a cost recovery basis, printed
  and electronic copies of information published by
  the Federal Government.

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ConOps and RD Development

• ConOps Refreshed April 2008
• Requirements Document Refreshed April 2008
• Developed in collaboration with all user groups
• GPO Plant and ITS
• Congressional Users
• House and Senate
• Agency Users

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CSR RD Areas

• Input Data
• Content and Processing
• Character Formatting
• Layout
• Output
• User Interface

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Input Types

• The Composition System Replacement (CSR) will be
  the central point for composition of content that
  is intended for print and internet access.
• CSR will have the capability to accept input data
  for composition in current formats that are
  submitted by users, including XML, SGML, XML/SGML
  hybrids, Locator Files, and hybrids.

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Characteristics of Input Types

• Optimum scenario is to move to an XML based
  workflow. The assumption is there will be a long
  transition period during which the legacy formats
  will have to be supported.
• Transition period is driven by our content
  originators.
• GPO receives multiple input types for one
  publication type
• Bills are 95 XML, 5 locators.
• GPO currently converts XML to locators. The goal
  is to be able to compose the native XML files.

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Conversion Challenges

• Converting files with locators to XML
• And sometimes back to locators

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Content and Processing

• Publications that are printed using composition
  engines are comprised of many different document
  components
• Text often output as two or more columns on a
  single page, and CSR must support these
  requirements.
• Tables includes all formatting and display
  requirements that pertain to individual tables
  and tables that span multiple columns and pages
• Graphics and Equations includes embedded and
  linked

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Content and Processing (cont)

• Continuation Indicators indicators that a
  document component has been continued from one
  page to the next or from one column to the next
• Indices (Indexes) and Table of Contents
• Side Notes denote cross-references to sections
  of other publications.
• Footnotes includes composition of sequential
  numeric footnotes and symbolic footnote patterns

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Characteristics of Content Processing

• Content from one publication has to be repurposed
  for other formats. GPO currently tags once and
  reuses the data in multiple products and formats.
  For example
• Bills and the Bills printed in the Congressional
  Record
• Federal Register and the CFR
• Managing various input types and workflows.
• Composition of multiple publication fragments.

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Layout

• CSR will
• Conform to distinctive formatting requirements
  for documents that are printed by GPO, including
  the Congressional Record, Congressional Bills,
  and Federal Register.
• Automate the placement of content within a
  publication.
• Use publication specific settings during
  composition.
• Apply multiple sets of publication specific
  settings to the same document
• Allow authorized users to override publication
  specific settings.

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Layout (cont)

• Printed publications composed by GPO often
  require specific formatting of characters, text,
  tables, and columns
• Change formatting
• Font styling
• Text alignment
• Tracking
• Adjusting of character width
• Kerning
• Drop Caps and Raised Caps
• Special and Unicode Characters
• Composite Characters
• Leaders
• Horizontal and Vertical Fixed Spacing

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Authoring Tools

• GPO currently uses
• XMetal
• Textpad

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Tables

• May span from one page to multiple
• May be portrait or landscape
• May be1 column or may exceed 15 columns
• Many levels of box heads
• Once a table has been coded it can be repurposed.
  Includes capability to apply new style.
• Must accept many input types for tables including
  SGML and XML.

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Nested Box Head Table
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Table Without Down Rules
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Characteristics of Layout

• CSR will need to be capable of printing complex
  multi-page tables.
• The volume of work GPO produces requires that CSR
  be an automated batch process. A manual process
  would not be effective in GPOs workflow.
• GPO composes and produces publications daily
  under strict deadlines.

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User Interface

• Windows-based Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs)
  and workbenches are key components of CSR.
• Workbenches for internal and external user
  classes will allow users to access toolsets and
  perform authorized functions according to user
  roles, access rights, and privileges.

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User Interface (cont)

• Users will be permitted to apply and modify
  processing instructions through the user
  interface.
• The system will provide the capability for
  administrators to customize default GUIs and
  workbenches for all user classes.
• The system must conform to best practices,
  standards, and guidelines regarding usability for
  GUI design.

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Characteristics of User Interface

• The user interface will allow users to preview
  their composition work and have access to an
  editor to modify source documents.
• The system must provide error identification,
  location, severity, and notification.

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Output

• Includes all the processes and capabilities
  necessary for CSR to render files that can be
  used for creating printed and digital output.
• CSR will be able to produce output in PostScript,
  XML, PDF, locator tagged files, and HTML.
• The system shall also allow users to specify
  output options, including duplex printing and
  Galley and Page mode rendering options.
• The system must also be capable of re-composing
  pages and frames after corrections are made to
  content. Must be able to limit the effect of a
  particular change as to not require changes to
  the flow of a complete document.
• The system will also be capable of outputting
  content to multiple printing devices and
  distributing the output on several devices
  simultaneously.

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Characteristics of Output

• The system must be able to insert processing
  instructions (e.g. line and page breaks, page and
  line numbers) within the native document file.
• The system must be able to print information
  outside the page margins (e.g. job identifiers,
  file name, operator name, date and time).

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Integration

• CSR needs to be integrated with existing
  pre-processing and post-processing applications,
  including
• Authoring tools/Text editors (e.g., XMetaL,
  Xywrite, TextPad, word processors, MathType)
• Translation tools and Conversion programs
• Acrobat Distiller
• Bound Record indexing process
• Other electronic distribution utilities (e.g.,
  add hot links)
• Productivity Management systems

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Next Steps - White Papers and Capability
Statements

• Vendors who are interested in any or all of the
  solution sets must submit a packet of material
  which includes
• Capability statement
• White Paper that
• Addresses gaps between current technology and
  areas.
• Addresses any concerns with CSR documentation.
• Provides technology roadmaps, with timelines for
  notional area support.
• Budgetary estimates along with estimated
  implementation timelines and effort.
• All documents due by
• The complete list of requested materials, due
  dates and instructions are noted in the published
  RFI at www.gpo.gov/compsys.htm. These
  instructions must be followed for consideration.

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Session Objectives

• Provide industry with enough data and
  understanding to effectively respond to the
  material noted in the RFI
• Explain the desired functionality identified by
  GPO
• Provide an open forum for GPO and industry to
  discuss these areas and GPOs challenges

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RFI Objectives

• To obtain industry feedback
• Assessment of materials
• Include white papers, and other industry best
  practices
• Budgetary
• To understand possible technology roadmaps
  through capability statements.
• Is COTS support available? (Requirements matrix)
• How soon will COTS support be available?

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Contact Information

• PMO_at_gpo.gov
• www.gpo.gov/compsys.htm