Apple Publishes Keynote XML Schema

grouchomarxist writes "Apple has published a technote on the XML file format (APXL schema) used by their new presentation application Keynote. They've also created a mailing list for those interested in writing Keynote tools." I am so there.

Adapt Axpoint to Keynote?

[Void]

Maybe one should fork the excellent-but-still-buggy-and-incomplete AxPoint [ttp] system to be keynote compatible. For those that don't know axpoint: it's a perl module that generates nice PDF presentations from an xml file...

link

[bill_mcgonigle]

You got some gremlins in your URL.

AxPoint [axkit.org]

While I'm here:
Sample output [axkit.org]
Source File [axkit.org]

Re:link

[JivanMukti]

He did say "Buggy and incomplete". ;-)

Re:Adapt Axpoint to Keynote?

[Lebannen]

Is there really much point?

Axpoint takes a xml file and uses those values and a template to generate the pdf slideshow, no? Keynote natively has the xml format, so you can just skip the middle step. Get your database app/whatever you use to generate the xml file, and just get it to modify a Keynote file instead. Instant update.

Converting xml to xml is a whole lot easier than xml to pdf... :)

Re:Adapt Axpoint to Keynote?

[renard]

Converting xml to xml is a whole lot easier than xml to pdf... :)

Exactly the point - wouldn't it be nice to have an open-source tool that could do it for you?

This way you could convert Keynote presentations to PDF, without needing to have a functional copy of Keynote around. Keynote exports to PDF (so they say [apple.com]) but it's not open-source, nor does it run (yet) on any environment other than OS X.

-renard

Re:Adapt Axpoint to Keynote?

[King Babar]

Converting xml to xml is a whole lot easier than xml to pdf... :)

Exactly the point - wouldn't it be nice to have an open-source tool that could do it for you?

This way you could convert Keynote presentations to PDF, without needing to have a functional copy of Keynote around.

Yup, that would be great. But also note that things could get very interesting if you could work the other way, too. Editing in stuff in Keynote is not bad at all (it's a Cocoa app so all of the emacs-style editing keys work!), but there are days when you want to create stuff like this programatically, or manually via something like the pretty hand AxPoint input format. And then you export to keynote to get those entertaining revolving cube transitions. :-)

Re:Adapt Axpoint to Keynote?

[WatertonMan]

Note that many people have noted that Keynote -> PowerPoint with embedded PDFs doesn't work too well. It tries and scale/compress the PDF in a way so that you loose most of your resolution and get a very fuzzy and blurry image. I wonder if this is a bit of a workaround (assuming such a project was written)

Oh - btw - for those with this problem. Make sure embedded graphics are saved as jpg or gif rather than pdf and the problem isn't that bad.

Is this unique?

[thermopile]

Does a similar scripting application exist for PowerPoint? Sounds like a very promising idea.

Re:Is this unique?

[Draoi]

Not that I'm aware of. However, there's nothing to stop you importing an existing .ppt file into Keynote & barfing it back out as the now-published xml file. Instant Powerpoint standardiser ... :-)

Re:Is this unique?

[d-Orb]

Absolutely! Now, if only we could have the same for Word (for Excel, gnumeric/OOo work quite well), that'll be it!

Re:Is this unique?

[chipset]

There's just one problem. The improt routine of KeyNote is not even close to being perfect. Every time I import one of the PPt presentations from work to use on my Mac, I spent 20 minutes cleaning things up. Some images don't come in, some things are changed, bullet points, etc.

It certainly seems doable, but once it gets into Keynote, let the tweaking begin before you save it/export it.

Chipset

Re:Is this unique?

[dthable]

How does the export work? I've been thinking about ditching PowerPoint but I don't want to export for PPT only to find out I need more tweaking to make it look decent again.

Re:Is this unique?

[Draoi]

You can export from KeyNote as either Quicktime, Powerpoint or PDF. Theoretically, you can import a .ppt file and export it back out again (kinda like those English->German->English babelfish pranks). Re-read into Powerpoint & see what went weird in the translation. That way, you'll have an idea what to expect.

If you don't have Keynote, send me one of your small powerpoint files & I'll send you back a Keynoted .ppt one just for fun ....

Re:Is this unique?

[Llywelyn]

I haven't really played with the PowerPoint export, but the PDF export I haven't had any problems with.

The QuickTime version isn't quite there, though that seems to be a problem with quicktime and not a problem with the export.

Re:Is this unique?

[chipset]

I have exported to Quicktime and found it to be quite useful. You can even set it to pause for each slide (a great feature). It's a great way to present to people on other platforms. Too bad it doesn't have a full screen export. Another feature missing in KeyNote is the ability to have the presentation start without opening and closing KeyNote (like PPS in PPT).

Re:Is this unique?

[tbmaddux]

The improt routine of KeyNote is not even close to being perfect. Every time I import one of the PPt presentations from work to use on my Mac, I spent 20 minutes cleaning things up.

You say from "work" to your "Mac." Are you using Windows at work? I ask because I have noticed the same thing going Mac PowerPoint (any version from 98 to X) to/from Windows PowerPoint (any version from 97 to XP). Particularly with the way animations in the page were set up, and of course Windows Powerpoint doesn't have the sweet Quicktime transitions (that's right, Mac PowerPoint looks better).

Anyhow, for that reason it might not be Keynote's fault at all, since they probably tested to get it to work like Mac PowerPoint.

Re:Is this unique?

[chipset]

That is correct. My main "work" system is a ThinkPad with Office 2000. I also have a 12" PowerBook for work. When I move the corporate presentations from Win PPT to Keynote, I get some issues: Graphics disappear, Bullet-types change, and some other issues (fonts, etc). It does take a few to get it working. But, I like Keynote. I wish the conversion process was better.

Relax-NG version?

[Euphonious Coward]

It would be interesting to see what the Relax-NG schema looks like, and whether it is strong enough to represent (a) every feature of the w3c schema, and (b) the things the w3c schema wasn't up to.

Re:Relax-NG version?

[King Babar]

It would be interesting to see what the Relax-NG schema looks like, and whether it is strong enough to represent (a) every feature of the w3c schema, and (b) the things the w3c schema wasn't up to.

Man, I hate it when somebody has the same cool idea I have and has time to get it posted here before I do. :-)

Seriously: what he said. I looked at the XML Schema for this, and I want my mommy to make it stop. Now then, with apologies to the original author (Jamie Zawinski?) who was writing about X11 (brrr):

Stop the XML Schema Virus!

First, a little history. The XML Schema spec escaped from the W3C at MIT where it was being held in isolation. When notified, MIT stated piblicly that "MIT assumes no resonsibility...". This is a very disturbing statement. It then infiltrated Apple Computer where it has since corrupted the technical judgement of this organization.

After sabotaging Apple, a sinister web standards consortium was created to find a way to use XML Schema as part of a plan to dominate and control XML and by extension the world. interactive window systems. The XML Schema spec is sometimes distributed by the W3C free of charge and over the web to unsuspecting victims. The destructive cost of XML Schema cannot even be guessed.

The XML Schema spec is truly obese - whether it's mutilating your hard disk or actively clogging your bandwidth, you can be sure it's up to no good. Innocent users need to be protected from this dangerous virus. Even as you read this, software that relies on an XML Schema is being maintained on millions of computers, maybe even your own.

Apple Computer is already shipping software that carries this dreaded infestation. It must be destroyed. This is what happens when software with good intentions goes bad. It victimizes innocent users by distorting their perception of what is and what is not good software. This malignant specification must be destroyed.

Ultimately the W3C and MIT must be held accountable for this heinous software crime, brought to justice, and made to pay for a software cleanup. Until the W3C and MIT answer to these charges, they both should be assumed to be protecting dangerous software criminals.

Don't be fooled! Just say no to XML Schema!

XML Schema A mistake carried out to perfection. XML Schema Dissatisfaction guaranteed. XML Schema Don't get frustrated without it. XML Schema Even your dog won't like it. XML Schema Flaky and built to stay that way. XML Schema Complex nonsolutions to simple nonproblems. XML Schema Flawed beyond belief. XML Schema Form follows malfunction. XML Schema Garbage at your fingertips. XML Schema Ignorance of Relax-NG is our most important resource. XML Schema It could be worse, but it'll take time. XML Schema Please wait as least 90 days before pressing charges. XML Schema Let it get in *your* way. XML Schema Live the nightmare. XML Schema More than enough rope. XML Schema Never had it, never will. XML Schema No markup is safe. XML Schema Power tools for power fools. XML Schema Power tools for power losers. XML Schema Putting new limits on productivity. XML Schema Simplicity made complex. XML Schema The cutting edge of obsolescence. XML Schema The charm of SGML lives on! XML Schema The defacto substandard. XML Schema The first fully modular software disaster. XML Schema The joke that kills but might not validate. XML Schema The problem for your problem. XML Schema There's got to be a better way. XML Schema You don't want to know about it. XML Schema Warn your friends about it. XML Schema You'd better sit down. XML Schema Don't press your luck. XML Schema You'll envy the dead.

The big picture

[Aram Fingal]

I wonder if Keynote is just the first of a new suite to replace AppleWorks and if XML will make possible what OpenDoc failed to do. That is, make a fully modular office suite where you can mix and match, say a word processor from one developer and a spreadsheed from another and still have them work together as if they were integrated.

OmniOutliner already exports to Keynote via XML. That's a good sign.

Re:Don't replace AppleWorks...

[PetWolverine]

...replace Office. AppleWorks is a very different application from the various Offices, being far more integrated as one application. Hopefully Apple will either update AppleWorks to where it can compete in features with Office, while keeping the existing paradigm, or if they create several new applications as you suggested, those new apps will replace not AppleWorks, but Office. It would be nice, for those of us who like the power of Office, to have an Apple product available so we could avoid endorsing Macrosquash any more than possible, but for people who prefer the integration of AppleWorks, that product's death would be very unfortunate.

Lazy ole me...

[ahknight]

... will wait for the CPAN module and then have a whole hell of a time. =)

XML::Keynote::PresentationFile

Mmmmm...