XML Tools

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Tools offering generalized XML support are available from many vendors. Companies such as ArborText , Inso , Interleaf  and SoftQuad  have tools for authoring, editing and publishing. Chrystal Software , POET  and Object Design  provide storage for XML data. Microstar  and extensibility  have tools for generating DTDs and XML schemas.

Other vendors, such as DataChannel Inc. , Frontier.UserLand.Com , Sequoia Software  and Vignette Corp.  have products available today based on XML for database publishing, content management, and data management.

Microsoft expects a wide variety of other middleware applications to be developed in the coming months that translate information currently stored in databases into XML for delivery to the desktop. In addition, Microsoft expects rich authoring, schema design, and application developer tools to support XML as well as for databases to store and emit XML directly. Data format-specific tools such as wizards will need to be developed as new vocabularies are defined.

Like Web development tools, there will be XML tools suited for authors as well as developers. The programming tools generally take the form of visualization tools and software code libraries that authors can use to create and manipulate XML content. Software libraries usually come first. For example, Internet Explorer 5.0 supports the W3C Document Object Model (DOM), a language neutral interface for XML which can be used from C, Java or scripts, that tools developers can build on to create high-level XML visualization tools or other XML development tools.

Equipped with the ability to parse XML documents, programmers can start building high-level tools that enable authors (and users) to create, edit, browse and search XML documents. These tools range from general-purpose editors conversant in any XML vocabulary to vocabulary-specific applications.

In the future, many application categories such as databases, messaging, collaboration, and productivity applications will incorporate support for new XML vocabularies as they are defined. This will enable interoperability within an application category, as well as across application categories, to allow address information in a customer database to be easily shared with a PIM application or e-mail client.

Tools List

ADEPT Editor 7.0  from ArborText, Inc. -- Allows authors to write text, place graphics and create books, manuals, catalogs, encyclopedias, and similar types of information.

Astoria  from Chrystal Software -- An authoring support system used in complex technical and content publishing environments.

Balise  from AIS Software -- An XML/SGML application programming environment used to build information exchange and translation systems between various forms of structured information storage and representation.

DataChannel XMLFramework Tools and Technology  A collection of XML resources which includes DataChannel's Developer ToolKit which contains the cross-platform parser, XJParser, several XML samples and example code, white papers and W3C status reports from XML experts and more.

DynaBase  from Inso -- An integrated content management and dynamic publishing system for teams who develop and operate large dynamic Web sites

Frontier  from UserLand Software -- A powerful cross-platform Web scripting environment built around an object database whose structure mirrors the structure of XML.

Near and Far Designer and Ælfred  from Microstar -- These tools provide XML DTD authoring and Java-based XML parsing.

Object Design products for XML  from Object Design -- Object Design offers tools to store and manage XML data, including ObjectStore, PSE, an XML parser for Java, and a Document Object Manager.

POET Content Management Suite  from POET -- Includes the POET Object Server and the SGML/XML parser for interpreting SGML/XML documents and storing them in the database; the SGML/XML Navigator for viewing and administrating SGML/XML documents; and the POET Content Management Suite programmer's API for building custom SGML/XML applications.

Real-time XML Editor   from archiTag -- The Real-time XML Editor is an experimental validating XML editor written in DHTML for Internet Explorer 5.

Tango Enterprise Version 3.1 "Generation X"  from EveryWare Development Corp. -- Tango Enterprise Generation X automatically generates dynamic XML documents on the fly from business logic and the values of changing business data in SQL or ODBC databases. It is particularly useful for building intranet knowledge management systems and Web sales force automation systems. The live demonstration available from the link above shows the dynamic creation of CDF push channels driven from business rules and changes in customer account details in a simulated electronic banking application.

Web Automation Toolkit  from webMethods, Inc. -- A development environment that enables companies to connect applications to existing Web sites and utilize Web protocols to integrate business applications directly over the Web, using XML for data exchange.

webMethods B2B Suite  from webMethods, Inc. -- The B2B Integration Server and the B2B Developer enable business-to-business application integration between companies and their customers, partners, and suppliers, using XML for data exchange. Existing HTML-based Web sites can be leveraged via webMethods Web Automation technology.

XML <PRO>  from Vervet Logic -- XML editor that combines the power of XML with an intuitive user interface that allows users to easily create and edit XML-based documents, regardless of previous experience with SGML.

XML Spy  XML Spy is a shareware XML and DTD editor for Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows 98, and Microsoft Windows NT.