jade Command in Linux

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The Jade command in Linux refers to James' DSL Engine, a powerful tool used for transforming SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language) documents into other formats like HTML, RTF, or printable output.

The Jade command is an implementation of the DSL (Document Style Semantics and Specification Language) standard, which is used for specifying the appearance of documents rendered from SGML. This makes Jade particularly useful for authors and publishers who need to manage complex document layouts and styles across various formats.

Table of Contents

Here is a comprehensive guide to the options available with the jade command −

• Understanding the jade Command
• How to Use jade Command?
• Examples of Jade Command in Linux

Understanding the jade Command

Jade operates through a command-line interface, allowing users to apply style sheets to SGML documents and produce formatted results. It's a part of a larger suite of tools that work with SGML and XML documents, providing a robust environment for document processing and rendering.

For those looking to install Jade, it's available in the repositories of many Linux distributions. Installation can typically be done through the package manager, using commands like sudo apt-get install jade on Debian-based systems. Additionally, Jade can be installed in a Docker container or a Conda environment, offering flexibility for different use cases and environments.

Once installed, users can begin working with Jade by creating or obtaining DSSSL style sheets for their documents. These style sheets define the rules for how the document should be formatted. The Jade command then takes these style sheets and applies them to the SGML source files, producing the desired output format.

How to Use jade Command?

The jade command in Linux is a versatile tool used for various tasks, including text processing, data manipulation, and formatting. It offers a wide range of options and flags to customize its behavior and functionality.

Here's a breakdown of the most commonly used options and their explanations −

The Jade command in Linux, often associated with the OpenJade software package, is a powerful tool for processing SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language) and XML (eXtensible Markup Language) documents. It implements the DSSSL (Document Style Semantics and Specification Language) standard, which is used to define the styles of SGML and XML documents.

Examples of Jade Command in Linux

Here are some examples of how the Jade command can be used in Linux −

• Basic Usage
• Specifying an Output File
• Using Catalogs
• Processing Multiple Documents
• Generating Different Output Formats
• Verbose Mode
• Error Handling
• Specifying a Character Encoding

Basic Usage

The simplest form of the Jade command is to apply a DSSSL stylesheet to an SGML or XML document −

jade -d stylesheet.dsl document.sgml

This command will process document.sgml using the style rules defined in stylesheet.dsl.

Specifying an Output File

To direct the output to a specific file, use the -o option −

jade -d stylesheet.dsl -o output.html document.sgml

This will create an HTML file named output.html as the output of the transformation.

Using Catalogs

If you have a catalog file that maps public identifiers to system identifiers, you can specify it with the -c option −

jade -c catalog.cat -d stylesheet.dsl document.sgml

This helps Jade locate the DTDs or other entities referenced in your SGML/XML documents.

Processing Multiple Documents

Jade can process multiple documents in one command −

jade -d stylesheet.dsl doc1.sgml doc2.sgml doc3.xml

Each document will be processed sequentially with the same stylesheet.

Generating Different Output Formats

Jade can generate various output formats, such as RTF or TeX, by specifying the -t option −

jade -t rtf -d stylesheet.dsl -o document.rtf document.sgml

This command will produce an RTF file from the SGML source.

Verbose Mode

For more detailed processing information, the verbose mode can be enabled with the -v option −

jade -v -d stylesheet.dsl document.sgml

This will display additional information about the processing steps.

Error Handling

To redirect error messages to a file, use the -f option −

jade -f errors.txt -d stylesheet.dsl document.sgml

This will write any error messages to errors.txt.

Specifying a Character Encoding

To define a character encoding for the input document, use the -b option −

jade -b utf-8 -d stylesheet.dsl document.sgml

This tells Jade that the document is encoded in UTF-8.

These examples showcase the versatility of the Jade command in handling SGML and XML documents under various scenarios. For a more comprehensive understanding, users can refer to the official documentation or the man pages provided with the OpenJade package. Additionally, a cheat sheet for Linux commands, including Jade, can be a handy reference for users.

Conclusion

Remember, while Jade is a powerful tool, it requires a good understanding of SGML, XML, and DSSSL to be used effectively. Always ensure you have backups of your documents before processing them with Jade or any other command-line tool.

It's important to note that while Jade is a powerful tool, it has a steep learning curve due to its command-line nature and the complexity of DSSSL. However, for those willing to invest the time to learn it, Jade offers a high degree of control over document presentation and is a valuable asset in the toolkit of any technical author or publisher dealing with SGML documents.