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WEB & ePUBLISHING
Most extensible markup language (XML) authoring tools offer similar features; the real differences among them are architectural. Some are suited to distributed use backed by powerful servers while others are strictly oriented to the desktop.
Regardless of their design, XML editing tools bring structure to content, giving you control over creation, editing, publication and reuse of information. More robust products handle both XML editing and publishing, which should interest enterprises that have back-end systems that aren't yet XML aware. Almost all servers, databases and content/document management systems are now able to accept XML tagged content, but this may still be a far cry from leveraging the true power of XML. What's generally missing is the ability to parse the XML tags used to assemble and reuse content.
Leading XML editing tools such as Adobe FrameMaker, Arbortext Epic and Corel XMetal are capable of supporting compound documents and assembling them into new documents - functions that are dependent upon the ability to parse XML. The server companion to Epic parses and publishes XML while FrameMaker accomplishes the same task within the desktop editor. XMetal occupies the middle ground, using its server component to locate XML files for integration on the desktop. These products are more than editors; they're integrated publishing systems for formatting content and delivering it in any format, including PDF, HTML and XML.
Even if you have back-end servers and infrastructure that can understand and use XML tagged content, you still need tools for creating XML and checking it for errors. Simpler XML editing tools are available that enable nontechnical users to structure their content without confronting them with the complexity of XML coding. Both Hypervision WorX and Ektron eWebEditPro+XML fit this bill. WorX provides an ActiveX control that integrates with Microsoft Word, while eWebEditPro+XML integrates with any Web-enabled content management system. Both these tools rely on third-party back-end systems to store and publish XML content.
Structuring Content
Structuring content with XML can be challenging for users. While most users are familiar with the WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) graphical metaphor, in which authors focus on the graphical representation of their documents, XML turns this whole concept around. With XML, content is created first and its...