This Technical Report complements ISO 8879 by providing additional turorial information. It is not intended, and should not be regarded, as an extention, modification, or interpretation of ISO 8879. The SGML language contains a number of components, some of which are optional features. The tutorial information covers the main components of the language only; notably a discussion of LINK, CONCUR, and DATATAG is outside the scope of this Technical Report.

The intended audience is mainly document type designers already familiar with the basic concepts of SGML, but requiring more tutorial information on techniques for using SGML for various applications. Subclauses 5.3 and 8.4 are written in the style of a “User Guide” and can be used as a basis for end-user documentation. For an introductory tutorial on SGML the annexes of ISO 8879 can be used.

This Technical Report includes notes on the analysis of a document prior to the writing of a formal document type definition, and a series of examples.

The principal example is for a general document type, formally defined as an example in clause E.1 of ISO 8879. Others of a general nature are for letter and memorandum, spreadsheet, mathematics, and the mixing of text and graphics. Those for language applications include Scandinavian runes, Japanese, a European multilingual document, and mixing text in languages written from left to right and from right to left.