[Dixielandjazz] Sibellious, Encore or Finale or ???

Mon Jun 2 17:50:22 PDT 2008

I've been doing a lot of study of XML in the last few weeks to create a 
standard way for us to store CD information for the San Francisco 
Traditional Jazz Foundation website and then display it in a standardized 
way in an HTML table. This allows us to have a single script display all the 
CDs we have for sale instead of an HTML file for each one. This make it much 
simpler and less error prone to update the information, add new CDs, or 
rearrange the display - just have to change one file instead of 10 or 15.

XML isn't really like .pdf. It is much more "open" and human readable. 
Anyone can create an XML file with any simple text editor (like notepad on 
Windows). You can't really create a .pdf file that way. You need special 
software to write a .pdf file (or print to it), and generally need Adobe 
Acrobat Reader or Acrobat itself to read and display it.

XML is a lot like HTML in that it uses "tags" in pairs like 
<html>stuff...</html> . The big difference is that the tags are defined by 
the user and give "meaning" to the text or data they enclose and can be 
defined to mean anything the user/writer wants. Example:
<person>
    <name>Joe Blow</name>
    <address>30 Joe Blow Parkway</address>
    <city>Joe Blow City</city>
    <state>PA</state>
    <zip>020202</zip>
</person>

A program that knows how to read an XML file can get real information from 
the above example whereas if you just used HTML to display Joe Blow's 
information, you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between his name 
and his address. Music XML has standardized tags specific to music 
information. There are other XML tag definitions for graphics, 3D modelling, 
and a bunch of other fields.

HTML tags are pretty much strictly for formatting the information for 
display.

Scott Anthony

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Charlie Hull" <charliehull7920 at sbcglobal.net>
To: <santh at comcast.net>
Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Monday, June 02, 2008 3:39 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Sibellious, Encore or Finale or ???

>I just downloaded, installed and browsed through the new trial version of 
>Encore. The motivation was from their 'new features' list; the alleged 
>ability to export Encore files to XML. The latter is a .pdf-type universal 
>format for transferring files between Finale, Sibelius and other music 
>scoring programs. I've used Encore since the Passport days and have a large 
>library of files I've created and want to transfer into Sibelius.
>
> The demo version of Encore lists no export to XML, only the long-existing 
> export to EPS. I sent them an inquiry asking how to invoke the XML 
> exportation feature, but have as yet received no reply.
>
> A few years back I purchased Finale and a subsequent upgrade based solely 
> on it's alleged ability to import Encore files, which it did but on a 
> primitive basis -- only the notes, chord symbols and lyrics -- all out of 
> vertical kilter. No repeats, endings, expression marks, etc. Cleaning up 
> the importations was too time consuming to be practical. I found the 
> learning curve too steep on Finale, and finally purchased Sibelius, with 
> which I'm satisfied. It took a little time to get used to, but does so 
> many things better than, and does so many more things than Encore that the 
> training time was a good investment. Sibelius will import and export XML, 
> but not Encore.
>
> If Encore will really export to XML I'll buy the upgrade just to get my 
> Encore library converted to XML and Sibelius.
>
> I really like Encore's creation procedures, but dislike it's instability. 
> I have to save work every fifteen minutes or so because I've lost complex 
> charts when Encore just freezes and hangs up my computer. I have to reboot 
> and lose all my work since the last file save. My computer has large 
> storage and memory capacity and a fast processor. Gvox has been 
> unresponsive to my trouble-shooting inquiries. Another major annoyance of 
> Encore is the shifting of lyrics and hyphens when you Select All and 
> change key signature, requiring readjustment to get rid of the overlaps. I 
> haven't experienced that with Sibelius.
>
> Charlie Hull
>
>
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