XMetaL
Encyclopedia
XMetaL, or XMetaL Author, is a software application used for creating and editing documents in XML
and SGML
. It has some features common to word processor
s, but is a native XML editor
that can be configured to work with various standard and custom DTD
s and XML Schema. XMetaL was first released by SoftQuad Software
in 1999 and is currently developed by JustSystems
.
resembling a word processor, in contrast with other XML editor
s such as TurboXML and XMLSpy
that are designed for XML programmers. XMetaL is used by both technical and non-technical writers, most often to develop technical documents, website content, newspaper and magazine content, and organizational policies and procedures. Government agencies also use XMetaL for tracking legislation.
files to style documents for display within the editor. A “Resource Manager” pane can be used to locate and insert items such as image files and frequently reused text fragments.
XMetaL can be configured to work with standard or custom DTD
s or XML Schema (XSD). Once configured, the user interface displays options for inserting elements and attributes declared in the DTD or XSD, and ensures all changes to documents are valid according to the rules of the DTD or XSD. Developers can also associate menu items and toolbar buttons for editing images, tables, and lists with elements and attributes in the particular DTD or XSD.
Through a macro facility, developers can add custom dialog box
es, menu commands, toolbar buttons, forms, and behaviors, using languages supported by the Microsoft scripting environment such as JScript
and VBScript
. It also includes interfaces for COM
and Java
. XMetaL includes features to import content from a database into an XML document, and can be integrated with other systems via API
s. XMetaL works with a variety of content management system
s.
The “Enterprise” version of XMetaL includes the Darwin Information Typing Architecture
(DITA) DTDs and features for editing and publishing DITA topics and maps.
custom XML editors, was first released in 2003 under the name “XMetaL for ActiveX”. XMAX-based applications can run within the Internet Explorer
browser for Windows, and can be embedded in other applications that support ActiveX
.
, which had previously developed the HTML editor HoTMetaL
. XMetaL 1.0, released in June 1999, was the first stand-alone XML editor to offer a word-processor-like user interface. In 2002, the Ottawa-based Corel Corporation bought SoftQuad, but failed to successfully develop the business. In 2003, XMetaL was rebranded as "XMetaL Author", as some features for extending and customizing the product were separated into a "XMetaL Developer" application.
In 2004, Corel sold the XMetaL business to Blast Radius
, a company based in Vancouver
, which was still home to most members of the original XMetaL development team. Critique, a product that had been developed by Blast Radius for collaborative reviewing of XML documents, would later be rebranded as "XMetaL Reviewer". XMetaL was the first major XML editor to provide specific features for DITA
. In 2006, Japan-based JustSystems
Corporation acquired the XMetaL business from Blast Radius, keeping the XMetaL development team based in Vancouver.
XML
Extensible Markup Language is a set of rules for encoding documents in machine-readable form. It is defined in the XML 1.0 Specification produced by the W3C, and several other related specifications, all gratis open standards....
and SGML
Standard Generalized Markup Language
The Standard Generalized Markup Language is an ISO-standard technology for defining generalized markup languages for documents...
. It has some features common to word processor
Word processor
A word processor is a computer application used for the production of any sort of printable material....
s, but is a native XML editor
XML editor
An XML editor is a markup language editor with added functionality to facilitate the editing of XML. This can be done using a plain text editor, with all the code visible, but XML editors have added facilities like tag completion and menus and buttons for tasks that are common in XML editing, based...
that can be configured to work with various standard and custom DTD
Document Type Definition
Document Type Definition is a set of markup declarations that define a document type for SGML-family markup languages...
s and XML Schema. XMetaL was first released by SoftQuad Software
SoftQuad Software
SoftQuad Software is best known for its HoTMetaL HTML editing software. HoTMetaL was one of a series of applications created by SoftQuad for editing, viewing and publishing structured content...
in 1999 and is currently developed by JustSystems
JustSystems
is a major Japanese software development house. The company is also known as "JustSystem." Its main products are Ichitaro , a word processor, and Hanako, a graphics package that remains competitive in the Japanese market, despite strong and controversial competitive pressures from Microsoft in the...
.
Uses
XMetaL has a user interfaceUser interface
The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...
resembling a word processor, in contrast with other XML editor
XML editor
An XML editor is a markup language editor with added functionality to facilitate the editing of XML. This can be done using a plain text editor, with all the code visible, but XML editors have added facilities like tag completion and menus and buttons for tasks that are common in XML editing, based...
s such as TurboXML and XMLSpy
XMLSpy
XMLSpy is an XML editor and integrated development environment from Altova. XMLSpy allows developers to create XML-based and Web services applications using technologies such as XML, XML Schema, XSLT, XPath, XQuery, WSDL, and SOAP...
that are designed for XML programmers. XMetaL is used by both technical and non-technical writers, most often to develop technical documents, website content, newspaper and magazine content, and organizational policies and procedures. Government agencies also use XMetaL for tracking legislation.
Features
XMetaL includes features common to word processors, such as a spellchecker, a thesaurus, and the ability to track changes made to documents. XMetaL provides different views of a document, known as “Normal”, “Tags On” and “Plain Text,” which reveal the underlying element tags and other XML markup to varying degrees, and uses standard CSSCascading Style Sheets
Cascading Style Sheets is a style sheet language used to describe the presentation semantics of a document written in a markup language...
files to style documents for display within the editor. A “Resource Manager” pane can be used to locate and insert items such as image files and frequently reused text fragments.
XMetaL can be configured to work with standard or custom DTD
Document Type Definition
Document Type Definition is a set of markup declarations that define a document type for SGML-family markup languages...
s or XML Schema (XSD). Once configured, the user interface displays options for inserting elements and attributes declared in the DTD or XSD, and ensures all changes to documents are valid according to the rules of the DTD or XSD. Developers can also associate menu items and toolbar buttons for editing images, tables, and lists with elements and attributes in the particular DTD or XSD.
Through a macro facility, developers can add custom dialog box
Dialog box
In a graphical user interface of computers, a dialog box is a type of window used to enable reciprocal communication or "dialog" between a computer and its user. It may communicate information to the user, prompt the user for a response, or both...
es, menu commands, toolbar buttons, forms, and behaviors, using languages supported by the Microsoft scripting environment such as JScript
JScript
JScript is a scripting language based on the ECMAScript standard that is used in Microsoft's Internet Explorer.JScript is implemented as a Windows Script engine. This means that it can be "plugged in" to any application that supports Windows Script, such as Internet Explorer, Active Server Pages,...
and VBScript
VBScript
VBScript is an Active Scripting language developed by Microsoft that is modeled on Visual Basic. It is designed as a “lightweight” language with a fast interpreter for use in a wide variety of Microsoft environments...
. It also includes interfaces for COM
Component Object Model
Component Object Model is a binary-interface standard for software componentry introduced by Microsoft in 1993. It is used to enable interprocess communication and dynamic object creation in a large range of programming languages...
and Java
Java (programming language)
Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities...
. XMetaL includes features to import content from a database into an XML document, and can be integrated with other systems via API
Application programming interface
An application programming interface is a source code based specification intended to be used as an interface by software components to communicate with each other...
s. XMetaL works with a variety of content management system
Content management system
A content management system is a system providing a collection of procedures used to manage work flow in a collaborative environment. These procedures can be manual or computer-based...
s.
The “Enterprise” version of XMetaL includes the Darwin Information Typing Architecture
Darwin Information Typing Architecture
The Darwin Information Typing Architecture is an OASIS standard XML data model for authoring and publishing. Many third party tools support authoring, including Adobe FrameMaker, XMetaL, Arbortext, Quark XML Author, Oxygen XML Editor, easyDITA, and SDL Xopus...
(DITA) DTDs and features for editing and publishing DITA topics and maps.
Thin-client version
XMAX, a platform for creating thin clientThin client
A thin client is a computer or a computer program which depends heavily on some other computer to fulfill its traditional computational roles. This stands in contrast to the traditional fat client, a computer designed to take on these roles by itself...
custom XML editors, was first released in 2003 under the name “XMetaL for ActiveX”. XMAX-based applications can run within the Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer
Windows Internet Explorer is a series of graphical web browsers developed by Microsoft and included as part of the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems, starting in 1995. It was first released as part of the add-on package Plus! for Windows 95 that year...
browser for Windows, and can be embedded in other applications that support ActiveX
ActiveX
ActiveX is a framework for defining reusable software components in a programming language-independent way. Software applications can then be composed from one or more of these components in order to provide their functionality....
.
History
XMetaL was first developed by SoftQuad SoftwareSoftQuad Software
SoftQuad Software is best known for its HoTMetaL HTML editing software. HoTMetaL was one of a series of applications created by SoftQuad for editing, viewing and publishing structured content...
, which had previously developed the HTML editor HoTMetaL
HoTMetaL
HoTMetaL was a very early commercial HTML-authoring software, released in 1994 by SoftQuad Software of Toronto, Canada.Based on the SGML engine of SoftQuad Author/Editor, HoTMetaL was released with a free version and a professional version . There was also a "light" version...
. XMetaL 1.0, released in June 1999, was the first stand-alone XML editor to offer a word-processor-like user interface. In 2002, the Ottawa-based Corel Corporation bought SoftQuad, but failed to successfully develop the business. In 2003, XMetaL was rebranded as "XMetaL Author", as some features for extending and customizing the product were separated into a "XMetaL Developer" application.
In 2004, Corel sold the XMetaL business to Blast Radius
Blast radius
A blast radius is the distance from the source that will be affected when an explosion occurs. A blast radius is often associated with, but not limited to, bombs, mines, explosive projectiles , and other weapons with an explosive charge....
, a company based in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, which was still home to most members of the original XMetaL development team. Critique, a product that had been developed by Blast Radius for collaborative reviewing of XML documents, would later be rebranded as "XMetaL Reviewer". XMetaL was the first major XML editor to provide specific features for DITA
Darwin Information Typing Architecture
The Darwin Information Typing Architecture is an OASIS standard XML data model for authoring and publishing. Many third party tools support authoring, including Adobe FrameMaker, XMetaL, Arbortext, Quark XML Author, Oxygen XML Editor, easyDITA, and SDL Xopus...
. In 2006, Japan-based JustSystems
JustSystems
is a major Japanese software development house. The company is also known as "JustSystem." Its main products are Ichitaro , a word processor, and Hanako, a graphics package that remains competitive in the Japanese market, despite strong and controversial competitive pressures from Microsoft in the...
Corporation acquired the XMetaL business from Blast Radius, keeping the XMetaL development team based in Vancouver.