XML-Enabled Tools

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NEW PRODUCTS

XML-ENABLED TOOLS

Lisa Rein, http://www.netuning.com/

Send announcements to:10662 Los Vaqueros Circle, Los Alamitos, CA 90720 [email protected]

We are all optimistic about the potential of the Web as a tool for knowledge management. We envision a universal database composed of millions of disparate object libraries, residing on locally hosted machines but nonetheless fully accessible from any remote location. We envision database-driven publishing becoming a reality, with the Web serving as the interface to a huge, distributed meta-database. While the database is already in place, retrieval mechanisms are still primitive. XML-enabled tools will begin to give us the power to access and benefit from the information stored on the Web in much richer ways than ever before.

One reason why is that XML allows authors, content providers, industries, and groups to design their own domain-specific tag sets. While XML syntax on its own does not convey meaning about the data contained within its tags, Resource Description Framework (RDF) will soon be used to provide an underlying semantic structure for XML documents. XML tags can then be coupled with an inferencing engine, providing customized accessibility to applications.

An XML-based Web site must have rules that describe how and under what conditions the data contained in its documents will be structured and processed. The unique thing about XML is that it allows us to dene these rules by ourselves. The data structure can be dened via either a Document Type Denition or a Schema, which must be written in either SGML or XML. However, since

XML is platform-, application-, language-, and domain-neutral, the business logic rules that dictate how to process that data can be written in the language of your choice.

For the data contained in an XML document to be parsed correctly, its markup must be well-formed, meaning that properly nested and nonabbreviated starting and ending tags are used. This well-formedness provides the encapsulation mechanism allowing designated sections of the data to be accessed programmatically. It is important to remember that XML is a markup language, not a programming language. For XML documents to be useful, you must pair them up with a scripting or programming language.

To visually render the data contained in an XML document within a browser, either a stylesheet or a component similar to the engines currently rendering browser HTML must be used. Expect to see native display of XML within the major browsers by the end of the year.

AgentSofts Java-based LiveAgent ProLiveAgent Pro uses XML to describe the contents of existing resources on the Web, thereby providing a way to automate Web activity. With LiveAgent Pro you create Internet/intranet scripts using a recording environment (like a high-level macro recorder or automated testing tool). A developer performs a sequence of Web operations in his/her browser, and those actions are automatically saved by LiveAgent Pro as a script

(or agent). The completed script can then be run by a user or scheduled for automatic launching.http://www.agentsoft.com/xml/

Grovewares Campus MainEventGroveware has released beta version2.6 of their Campus MainEvent 1.0, a system for managing announcements of seminars and other events. It uses XML internally and is written in Java. http://www.groveware.com/

Hynet Technologies Hynet Digital Library System 2.0 The Hynet Digital Library System 2.0 is an SGML/ XML-based document authoring and management tool that has the ability to capture Microsoft Word or Adobe Framemaker documents while preserving the structural integrity of headings, tables, lists, and hyperlinks, as well as providing standard document management functionality such as check-in/check-out, collaborative authoring and version control.http://www.hynet.com/

Interleafs BladeRunner

BladeRunner is an assembly, authoring, and publishing environment with visual modeling features for creating DTDs and XML document templates. BladeRunner will also have the ability to manipulate documents created in Microsoft Word and Excel, WordPro, WordPerfect, Interleaf 6, FrameMaker, Lotus Notes, and other programs, as well as to import and export valid XML, HTML, and even PDF.http://www.interleaf.com/

Kinetic Technologies

Structured Information Manager Database Server The Structured Information Manager (SIM) Database Server allows for the storage, management, and retrieval of information in a variety of standard document formats that now include SGML and XML. SIM 2.1 provides a

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mechanism for accessing Oracle and Sybase databases, and developers can use the product to set up a system where an end user can access documents and data from a database using a single query. The SIM 2.1 database server can also be used to develop applications used for the management of WWW-based publishing subscriptions, intranet-based corporate knowledge repositories, Web-browsable multilingual dictionaries, or document creation and publishing systems.http://www.kti.com/

Microsofts Site Server 3.0 Commerce EditionMicrosofts Site Server 3.0 Commerce Edition provides a collection of useful mechanisms that, when used on the COM platform, enable the importing and exporting of XML data. Site Server 3.0 Commerce Editions Order Processing Pipeline (OPP), Commerce Interchange Pipeline (CIP), and COM Dictionary Objects, combine to create a component-based solution for EDI interchange and electronic commerce. http://www.microsoft.com/

OmniMark Technologies Konstructor Internet Development Suite OmniMark Technologies Corporation just released its Konstructor Internet Development Suite, which includes extended XML support. Konstructor lets developers combine XML documents with existing relational metadata and other developer tools, as well as providing support for XML Schema and business logic development tools.http://www.omnimark.com/

Table 1. Companies developing XML-enabled products and development tools. To be XML-enabled, an application must be capable of processing XML data, generating XML documents, or assisting with the structuring of an XML-based information architecture.

Company 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

AgentSoft (http://www.agentsoft.com/) X X X X X X ArborText (http://www.arbortext.com/) X X X X X X Copernic98 (http://www.copernic.com/) X X X X DataChannel (http://www.datachannel.com/) X X X X X Groveware (http://www.groveware.com/) X X X Hynet Technologies (http://www.hynet.com/) X X X InfoAccess (http://www.infoaccess.com/) X XInnovision (http://www.innovision.com/) X XInso (http://www.inso.com/) X X X X X X X X InterCap (http://www.intercap.com/) X XInterleaf (http://www.interleaf.com/) X X X X Junglee (http://www.junglee.com/) X XKinetic Technologies (http://www.kti.com/) X X X X X X Microsoft (http://www.microsoft.com/xml/) X X X X X X Microstar (http://www.microstar.com/) X X X X X X Object Design (http://www.objectdesign.com/) X X X X OmniMark (http://www.omnimark.com/) X X X XPerspecta (http://www.perspecta.com/) X X X Poet (http://www.poet.com/) X X X X X X X ServiceSoft (http://www.servicesoft.com/) X X XSidana Systems, Inc. (http://www.sidsys.com/) X XSoftQuad (http://www.softquad.com/) X X X XTexcel (http://www.texcel.no/) X X X X X X Trellix (http://www.trellix.com/) X X X X webMethods (http://www.webMethods.com/) X X X X X X Vignette Corporation (http://www.vignette.com/) X X X X

KEY

1 Document Authoring and Editing

2 Automation

3 Database Connectivity

4 Parser

5 Searching and Indexing

6 Content Aggregation and Personalization

7 Web Document Managing and Publishing

8 Workow and Versioning Control

9 Development Tools10 Knowledge Management11 Information/Data Structuring12 Navigation

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GREAT XML WEB RESOURCES

ArborTexts XML Styler 2, available free for download, is a tool for creating and modifying XSL stylesheets. Its graphical user interface makes developing and altering XSL stylesheets quick and easy, eliminating the need to code your XSL stylesheets by hand. Style sheets generated by this product will only work in Internet Explorer 4.0.http://www.arbortext.com/xmlstyler/index.htmlhttp://www.arbortext.com/xmlresrc.htmlCafe con Leche has a great collection of XML resources and links to a wide range of development tools.http://sunsite.unc.edu/xml/

Free XML software is a site of links to parsers and development tools which are available free of charge, provided as a public service by Lars Marius Garshol.http://www.stud.i.uio.no/~larsga/linker/XMLtools.html Developer.com has just launched a new XML Directory containing over 200 resources, including tools, demos, tutorials, events listings, and examples.http://www.developer.com/directories/pages/dir.xml.html Finetuning.com has numerous resource links, introductory analyses, and technical material about XML.http://www.netuning.com/

Isogen has a great collection of tools.http://www.isogen.com/frameless/demos/tools.html Microsoft has numerous XML resources.http://www.microsoft.com/xml/

Mozilla.org has XML and RDF source code that is constantly updated, including source for Raptor, Netscapes next-generation layout engine that will eventually include full support of XML and RDF.http://www.mozilla.org/

Perspecta has a nice collection of tools and resources. http://www.perspecta.com/technology/tools.html

PHyLIS (Personal HyTime Linking Information System) is a demonstration SGML and XML grove management and hyper-linking system. PHyLIS is a demonstration HyTime engine built as a system of ActiveX components (.exes and .dlls) using Visual Basic. The system was designed to serve as an existence proof for the HyTime architecture, grove-based processing, architecture-based processing, and so on, and to serve as an educational tool when teaching about groves, architectures, HyTime, XLink, SGML, and XML. PHyLIS is freeware in the spirit of arcs-gml, nsgmls, and JADE, and all source code is available.http://www.phylis.com/

WebBroker Specication, DTDs, and sourcecode are available at: http://www.w3.org/TR/1998/NOTE-webbroker/ http://xml.datachannel.com/

TRIED-AND-TRUE XML PARSERS

lfred: Microstars Java-Based XML Parser http://www.microstar.com/XML/AElfred/

DXP (formerly NXP) http://www.datachannel.com/ products/xdk/DXP/index.htmlJames Clarks EXPAT http://www.jclark.com/ xml/expat.htmlIBMs XML for Java http://www.alphaworks.ibm.com/formula/xml/

Lark and Larval by Tim Bray http://www.textuality.com/Lark/

LTXML http://www.ltg.ed.ac.uk/software/xml/ MSXML http://www.microsoft.com/xml/

Win 32 C++ Classes by Sam Blackburn http://ourworld. compuserve.com/homepages/sam_blackburn/wfc.htm xmlproc: A Python XML parser http://www.stud.i.uio.no/~larsga/download/python/xml/xmlproc.html Xparse www.jeremie.com/Dev/XML/

POETs Content Management Suite

POET has recently released its Content Management Suite. CMS is an extensible application platform built upon the POET Object Server 5.0. The CMS object database can store all sorts of complex media types including structured XML/SGML content, HTML, and any kind of graphic, audio, or video format. The suite also provides full-featured revision control, check-in/check-out capabilities, full-text indexing, workgroup collaboration, and version management. Most notably, the POET Object Server has its own Object Query Language, which supports context-based queries and works with Veritys full-text indexing service. CMS also integrates with ArborTexts ADEPT content editor. A comprehensive SDK is available with APIs for either C++ or Java development environments. The SDK also includes useful APIs for navigation, developing ActiveX controls, and prototyping.http://www.poet.com/

ServiceSofts Knowledge Builder Version 4.0

ServiceSofts Knowledge Builder Version 4.0 has the ability to directly import XML-based documents from any COM-based self-service support tools.http://www.servicesoft.com/

SoftQuads HoTMetal Application Server

SoftQuad has just announced a Windows NT version of its HoTMetal Application Server that enables developers to create functional data-driven Web sites in a familiar HTML authoring environment. This development environment pumps out

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XML SPECIFICATION

Core SpecicationsExtensible Markup Language (XML) 1.0 Specication http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-xml/

Namespaces in XML http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-xml-names/

XML Linking Language (XLink) http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-xlink/

XML Pointer Language (XPointer) http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-xptr/

Resource Description Framework (RDF) Model and Syntax Specication http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-rdf-syntax/ Resource Description Framework (RDF) Schemas http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-rdf-schema/

XSL Requirements Summary http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-XSLReq/

Associating stylesheets with XML documents http://www.w3.org/TR/NOTE-xml-stylesheet/

Related DocumentationAmaya Testbed Environments: the Java and ILU versions of Amaya http://www.w3.org/TR/NOTE-expamaya/ Document Object Model (XML) Level 1 http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-DOM/level-one-xml.html Short- and Long-Term Goals for the HTTP-NG Project http://www.w3.org/TR/1998/WD-HTTP-NG-goals/

Web Schematics on the World Wide Web http://www.w3.org/TR/1998/NOTE-WebSchematics/ XML in HTML Meeting Report http://www.w3.org/TR/NOTE-xh

Industry-Specic Implementations Mathematical Markup Language (MathML) 1.0 Specication http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-MathML/

P3P Harmonized Vocabulary Specication http://www.w3.org/TR/1998/WD-P3P10-harmonization/

P3P Architecture Working Group: General Overview of the P3P Architecture http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-P3P-arch/ P3P Vocabulary Working Group: Grammatical Model and Data Design Model http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-P3P-grammar/

Precision Graphics Markup Language (PGML) http://www.w3.org/TR/1998/NOTE-PGML/ Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL) 1.0 Specication http://www.w3.org/TR/1998/PR-smil-19980409/

Vector Markup Language (VML)http://www.w3.org/TR/1998/NOTE-PGML/

WebBroker: Distributed Object Communication on the Web http://www.w3.org/TR/1998/NOTE-webbroker/ Web Interface Denition Language (WIDL) http://www.w3.org/TR/NOTE-widl/

SAXTHE SIMPLE API FOR XML

SAX 1.0 (the Simple API for XML) has been a collaborative project of the members of the XML-DEV discussion group. The rst release of SAX is in Java, but versions in other programming languages may follow. SAX is free for both commercial and non-commercial use. SAX is a common, event-based API for parsing XML documents. The first draft of SAX was supported by IBMs XML for Java, DataChannels DXP, James Clarks EXPAT, and Microstars AElfred parsers. Support for Tim Brays Lark parser and Microsofts MSXML parser was provided through third-party drivers.

SAX lls the same role for XML that the JDBC lls for SQL: with SAX, a Java application can work with any XML parser, as long as the parser has a SAX 1.0 driver available. SAX1.0 drivers for the major parsers will be appearing shortly. You can download SAX 1.0 with two sample drivers (Lark

and MSXML) athttp://www.megginson.com/SAX/

SAXON is a Java package developed by Michael Kay of

ICL that provides a layer of services on top of SAX. These services include support for specific element handlers for each element type (allowing your application to be more modular), a mechanism for providing context information about each element, management of multiple output streams linked to particular elements in the input document (useful when you are splitting an XML document or loading the data into a database), and even an ActiveX interface (to make it easy to do an HTML rendition of an XML document from server-side VBScript code on an active server page). SAXON also includes some APIs for more advanced functions such as auto-numbering and sorting.http://home.iclweb.com/icl2/mhkay/saxon.html

browser-independent applications that can process XML data. Other platforms supported include Sun Solaris, SGI-Irix, DEC Unix, BSDi, and Free BSD. There are API versions for the Netscape, Microsoft, and Apache Web servers, as well as CGI. http://www.softquad.com/

webMethods B2B Integration Server

webMethods B2B Integration Server uses XML and HTTP to enable the exchange of data between applications, Web sites, and legacy data sources. The B2B server can also integrate with server-side business logic modules to access databases such as Oracle or SQL server. webMethods Web Automation Toolkit can be used to develop applications that use the B2B Server. http://www.webMethods.com/

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