XML editor

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Definition

• An XML editor allows an author to write XML contents

Typology of XML Editors

Here is a list of critera:

• Wysiwyg vs. wysiwym ("what you see is what you mean")
• Wysiwym means either tree editing or structured editing
• Multi-functional vs. focussed on one kind of editing
• Support or not for various XML vocabularies

Wysiwyg and XML Text Editors

I believe that XML Editors for tex-centric contents should work more or less like text processors ... I didn't have the chance to look at most of the products listed here (so there is no endorsement).

Such tools are either strictly Wysiwyg (e.g. Framemaker) or sort of Wysiwyg (e.g. like an HTML editor). In addition these tools also allow optionally to display tags, the XML context, an XML tree etc.

Adobe FrameMaker 7.2

• FrameMaker Home Page

Adobe would have the skills to do a nice tool based on FrameMaker (the only real Text Processor I am aware of. However, version 7.2 of Framemaker doesn't have XSL-FO support.

Framemaker is a very good SGML and XML text processor. However, XML editing needs a lot of configuration work and the product is quite expensive, but I like it nevertheless.

Problems: Major problem I found is mapping of internal objects (XRefs, Tables, Figures) to certain DTDs. E.g. one can't map XRefs to non-empty elements without C programming. See also my documentation on old FrameMaker SGML 6 XML. Some of it is still useful for version 7. (I didn't test 7.2's XSLT support yet, some of my problems with 7.0 may be solved with this I think).

Arbortext tools

• Abortext

One of the real XML players that produce real tools (e.g. Epic) that get decent reviews (but I did not test any). Price: over $1000

Plugins for MS Word

I really dislike this product (I don't like Open Office either btw). So here are just pointers w/o endorsement since I didn't test.

• Hypervision sells WorX SE, a plugin for MS Word
• eXportXML MS Word to XML (Word plugin)

XMetal

• XMetal.

Since version 2.0 it has become probably one the best overall pure XML editor for writing contents.

Today (2006) there are various products (from Euro 550 and up). E.g. a DITA extension.

Simple text-editor like editing tools

Morphon

• Morphon

This is a freeware product. Win/MaxOsX, Linux, Solaris. Runs under Java 1.4.1 (downloads with or w/o Java VM). Also comes with a CSS editor.

It works, but

• novice users must be trained to use the interface.
• Fonts used in the Interface are very hard to read.

Others

• XMLmind XXE XML Editor, free standard edition. (V2.1 jan/2003, not yet tested, CSS-based word processor like view.)

• Cooktop Win, needs IE5.x, FREE (looks ok, but not tested here / jan 2003)

• Serna. Commercia WysiWyg XML Editor. Support for DocBook, TEI and Dita. Win/Unix. Specifications look good, but NOT TESTED @ Tecfa. Cheap Academic Prices ($45). [2/2004]

TTW Editors

TTW = "through the Web" - it works within a browser

• See for the moment: TTW WYSIWYG Editors (very good index)

Complex Tree/Text/Structure Editors with a GUI

(this section also include other tools ... to be placed elsewhere)

oxYgen

• oXygen
• Tree/structure editor Quote from an Email message: "<oXygen/> XML editor covers all the today's XML technologies offering support for any XML document, working with XML Schemas, DTDs, Relax NG schemas and NRL Schemas. The powerful transformation support allows you not only to edit XSLT and XSL-FO documents but also to obtain documents in the desired output format like HTML, PS, PDF, etc. with just one click."
• Opinion of DSchneider: TECFA has a site license for this. Overally speaking a nice product that supports various functionalities. Easier to learn than Xemacs, but the menus commands are not obvious either.

EditX

• EditX.
• Quote from an email: "EditX is a cross-platform powerful and easy to use XML editor [...] and XML-related technologies such as XSLT / FO and XSD Schema. EditiX provides users with an extensive range of XML functionality within a refined IDE that guides you with intelligent entry helpers. EditiX has realtime XPath location and syntax error detection. Helpers are also provided with context syntax popup supporting DTD, Schema and RelaxNG. EditiX supports multiple templates and project management. User can apply XSLT or FO Transformation and show the result with a dedicated view. All the process can be managed by shortcuts. EditiX includes default templates with XML, DTD, XHTML, XSLT, XSD, XML RelaxNG, SVG, MathML and XML FO."
• Not tested !

epcEdit

• epcEdit

• SGML/XML editor for Win, Linux, Solaris.

• Opinion of DSchneider: One of the best cheap XML editors I think. Not as many functionalities as oXygen, but much friendlier.

Others

• Topologi, Commercial but cheap ($99) Text/Structure Editor (seems to be a good tool for people afraid of programming editors)

• Exchanger XML Editor, cheap ($130) commercial structure and tree editor, multiplatform (2003/V3.x 2005) - Not tested.

• XML Spy Well known commercial XML editor, Works much better than older versions. See also Altova, an end-user XML editor which is free (not tested yet / DKS-2/2003)
• XSelerator, cheap (not tested)
• XML Writer Commercial Product with trial period, DTD aware, works. One of the only tools that is all of useful, cheap and beginner friendly I have seen so far.
• jEdit, a programming editor with and XML plugin (not tested). JEdit is a quite popular alternative to Emacs
• xmlwebgui, Web-based (Dom-conformant) validating xml-editor (alpha in 3/2002). Way to go for editing of portal contents :)
• xmloperator Free XML tree editor, Java-based, DTD or Relax aware (v. 2.3 sept 2003)

Simple structure editors

MEX

• Mex (Mini Editeur XML)
  • Multiplatform (Win/Mac/Unix) and Java-based

XED

• XED

• XED was probably the first simple standalone XML structure editor. It still works fine. This "XML document instance editor" was written by Henry S. Thompson, University of Edinburgh.
• FREE, available for Solaris and Win95/NT, Linux. A simple XML editor for wellformed documents.
• DTD awareness (lists all tags). HINT: to get a hint from the DTD start typing a "<".
• Win keybindings or Emacs keybindings (good for people who dont want to install Emacs)

• Opinion of DSchneider. This is very first simple XML structure editor that I found useful (in 1998). Still works (type xed under Unix).

Jaxe

• Jaxe, votre éditeur XML

• Free XML Schema-aware XML editor
  • configurable with an XML schema and a file describing the menus to insert the elements (no right-click insertion)
  • adapted to structured narrative XML documents
  • validation at elements insertion
  • multi-platform (Java 1.3+)

• Opinion of DSchneider: I tested this in 2003 and like the concept. It's a very user-friendly XML editor for text-centric contents, but needs configuration work (you have to define menus!). Not used in production at TECFA.

Emilé

• Emile Good XML (DTD aware) emacs-like structure editor. Mac only ($80)
• Opinion of DSchneider: My students who had Macs liked this product. Don't know if it is still alive.

Simple tree editors

Xerlin

• Xerlin

• Free Opensource multiplatform XML Java-based tree editor.

• Code is based on "Merlot" which is no longer available

• Opinion of DSchneider: Used at TECFA for data-centered XML editing by people who are afraid of Xemacs - 12/2002). Works nicely, but it's a tree editor (and I don't like them).

Xeena

• Xeena

• A visual XML tree editor, Xeena is a generic Java application from the IBM Haifa Research Laboratory for editing valid XML documents derived from any valid DTD (no schema support anymore). Can be customized. (version 1.2 in aug 2004, after a long break)

• Xeena is used as a basis for an X3D editor.

Programmer's editors with good XML support

Programmer's editors are more difficult to learn. However, you only need to learn one single tool for most of your needs .....

Emacs

There are several flavors of Emacs. The most popular ones are Gnu Emacs and Xemacs. X(Emacs) is a programming editor of choice since the 80's and its modern versions offer decent XML support.

• Xemacs

• PSGML mode supports DTD-aware structure editing plus some internal validation (external validatation can be added on Unix installations). PSGML is a powertul context sensitive tool. Documentation:
  • Also, Bob DuCharme has a good page with PSGML tricks.

• XEmacs support: A patched PSGML mode with XML support is included in Xemacs 21.0 (used @ TECFa and by myself, works great on Unix and Win95/98/NT)
• nXML is James Clark Emacs mode for Relax NG schemas. Here is a short article from XML hack. Read The Design of RELAX NG if you want to know why you may want to use Relax NG.
• Not tested: sxml-mode for (X)Emacs

• xslide -- Emacs Major Mode for XSL Stylesheets. No idea for which Emacs this is meant.... Xemacs already includes such a mode.