What is Xeena?

Xeena, a visual XML editor, is a generic Java application for editing valid XML documents derived from any valid DTD. XML files can be created and edited without learning the intricacies of XML. The editor takes as input a given DTD and automatically builds a palette containing the elements defined in the DTD. Any document derived from that DTD by using a visual, tree-directed paradigm can thus be created, edited, or expanded. The visual paradigm requires only a minimal learning curve, because only valid constructs or elements are presented to the user in a context-sensitive palette.

A key feature of Xeena is its syntax-directed editing ability. Xeena is aware of the DTD grammar, and, by making sensitive only authorized icons for elements, it automatically ensures that all documents generated are valid according to the given DTD. Other Xeena features include the following:

• Intuitive viewing and editing of XML documents in a tree control view
• Editing of multiple XML documents
• Inclusion of XML source viewer
• Restriction of adding and editing of features according to the DTD; checking of validity of produced documents
• Easy customization of display
• Red underlining of invalid elements in the document
• Hooks for importing/exporting documents and invoking tools on documents.

How does it work?

Xeena is a Java application built on top of Swing and XML Parser for Java^TM. The XML attributes of the elements are edited via a table. Each attribute value is entered using an editing GUI component (such as a combo box or text field), which is also derived from the DTD. The editor guides the user in inserting elements into the tree in the correct order (according to the DTD) by making the elements palette-sensitive to the current selected tree node and by not allowing insertion of elements in an invalid order.

The editor is a Multiple Document Interface application (MDI) with full fledged support for editing multiple XML documents and for copying, cutting, and pasting from one document into another.

A screen shot of the Xeena interface.

Xeena is used by the Web 3D Consortium to edit Extensible 3D (X3D) graphics files. A screen shot is available, as well as more information about X3D.

Shlomit S. Ifergan is a research staff member at the IBM Haifa Research Lab in Haifa, Israel, and belongs to the "Information Retrieval and Organization" Group. Her research interests include XML, Web applications, Java applications, rule-based systems, user interfaces, and visualization. Ms. Ifergan received her MSc in Electrical Engineering from the Technion, Haifa, Israel, in 1998. She joined IBM in 1997, and she is the lead developer of Xeena.

Yoelle S. Maarek manages the "Information Retrieval and Organization" Group at the IBM Haifa Research Lab. The IRO group has about 15 research staff members, including the Xeena and Mapuccino teams. Her research interests include information retrieval, Internet and Java applications, and software re-use. Dr. Maarek graduated from the "Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussees", Paris, France, and received her DEA (graduate degree) in Computer Science from Paris VI University in 1985. She received a Doctor of Science degree from the Technion, Haifa, Israel, in January 1989. Before joining IBM Haifa, Dr. Maarek was a research staff member at the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center in NY for about five years. She has published over 20 papers in professional journals and conferences. Dr. Maarek serves on the program committees of several international conferences (including the last WWW8 conference) and is a member of the review board of the WebNet Journal. 

Sigalit Ur is a research staff member at the IBM Haifa Research Lab in Haifa, Israel. She received an MS degree in Intelligent Systems from the University of Pittsburgh in 1993. Before joining IBM, Ms. Ur was involved in projects in a wide variety of fields, including data processing, databases, cognitive science, multi-agent planning, and image processing; some of these projects have been published in journals and conferences.