Compound XML Document Toolkit
A standards-based, schema-driven toolkit for mixed-namespace XML documents. (This is an ETTK technology.)
Date Posted: April 12, 2005
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This is an  technology.
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Update: August 31, 2006
Updated HTML and XML content models; Eclipse 3.2 support; and Eclipse WTP 1.5 support.
What is Compound XML Document Toolkit?
A compound XML document combines XML mark-up from several namespaces into a single physical document. A number of standards exist, and continue to be developed, that are descriptions of XML mark-up within a single namespace. XHTML, XForms, XML Events, Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG), VoiceXML, and MathML are prominent examples of such standards, each having its own namespace.
Each of these specifications focuses on one aspect of rich-content development: XForms focuses on data collection from end-users, SVG on graphics, and MathML on the display of mathematical notations.
To authors, each of these standards is useful and important. However, it is the combination of elements of any number of these standards that lends true flexibility and power. A document may exist in order to be displayed within a Web browser for the purpose of displaying an input form, a scalable graphic, and a bit of mathematical notation, all on the same page. XHTML, XForms, SVG, and MathML, respectively, serve these needs and could, therefore, be combined into a single multi-namespace or compound document.
The Compound XML Document Toolkit (formerly Compound XML Document Editor) is an Eclipse plug-in that provides for the creation, directed editing, and serialization of such documents. The Compound XML Document Toolkit uses XML schemas to define the semantics of constructing documents spanning one or more namespaces. Those semantics include the order and placement of elements, the allowable child elements, and available attributes for each element.
Sample XML schema profiles for these XML-based standards are provided with the Compound XML Document Toolkit; documents having mark-up of the following types may therefore be created and edited immediately upon installation:
- XHTML 1.1 + XForms 1.0
- XHTML 1.1 + SVG 1.1
- XHTML 1.1 + MathML 2.0
- XHTML 1.1 + XForms 1.0 + SVG 1.1
- SVG 1.1 + XHTML 1.1
- SVG 1.1 + XHTML 1.1 + XForms 1.0
- XHTML Mobile 1.1 + SVG Tiny 1.2
- SVG Tiny 1.2 + XHTML Mobile 1.1
- XHTML 1.1 + SVG 1.1 + MathML 2.0
- XHTML 1.1 + VoiceXML 2.0
- XHTML 1.1 + VoiceXML 2.0 + SVG 1.1
- XHTML 1.1 + SMIL 2.0
The Compound XML Document Toolkit also provides also provides tools for validating compound XML documents, in addition to one-step rendering of documents being edited.
This technology is part of the Emerging Technologies Toolkit (ETTK), a special collection of emerging technologies from IBM's software development and research labs. The Compound XML Document Toolkit runs on Windows® and Linux® (see the Requirements section for details).
How does it work? The Compound XML Document Toolkit makes use of XML schema profiles in order to define XML language constraints based upon existing schemas, in addition to providing additional constraints that specifically address the intermixing of language nodes from various XML name spaces. These profiles, when used with the editors provided with Eclipse Web Tools, provide assistance that ensures correct (well-formed) syntax and additional assistance when there is an associated grammar constraint (schema). These schemas also provide code completion suggestions for nodes as they are typed, in addition to tree-based, directed editing.
This toolkit also provides a mechanism for associating a document with a profile in order to facilitate the development of compound XML documents. A key feature when working with either new or existing documents is the ability to ensure the validity of the document. With the Compound XML Document Toolkit, it is easy to validate compound XML documents against any of the included profiles.
As an Eclipse plug-in, the Compound XML Document Toolkit is easily integrated into an installation of Eclipse or one of the many Eclipse-based development tools.
What's new in the recent update?
What's new in the recent update?
The August 31, 2006, update contains several enhancements:
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| | About the technology author(s):
Steve Speicher, the lead developer of the Compound XML Document Toolkit, is an IBM senior software engineer working on emerging standards. Mr. Speicher is a member of the W3C Compound Document Formats Working Group; he uses MDD to improve the development of standards. He has previously worked on "build" and SCM tools in the Rational division and in IBM internal tools.
Kevin E. Kelly is an IBM senior technical staff member who works on software standards. Mr. Kelly has been a member of the W3C XForms Working Group and is chairman of the W3C Compound Document Formats Working Group. His focus is on developing open standards-based technologies for faster, more efficient standards adoption through XML-based and model-driven approaches.
Jan Joseph Kratky is the lead developer for the XML Forms Generator. He is currently a software engineer with IBM Emerging Software Standards in Research Triangle Park, N.C. A Sun Certified Java Programmer and Sun Certified Web Component Developer, Mr. Kratky has worked with Java technolgies since 1997 and with Eclipse technologies since 2001.
Keith Wells a software engineer at IBM in Research Triangle Park, N.C. Mr. Wells has been involved with Emerging Technologies and the Emerging Technologies Toolkit for several years. Currently, he is exploring opportunities with compound documents, model-driven development, software standards, and XML-based technologies.
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