ProductsAuthenticDesktop Edition

Altova Authentic® 2008 Desktop Edition is a FREE WYSIWYG XML and database content editor designed to complement the Altova® MissionKit™ 2008 software bundle. Unlike the Web-based Browser Edition, it is hosted locally on the end user’s personal computer.

Software developers can employ Authentic Desktop Edition as the user interface element of advanced XML and database-centric applications, then business users and subject matter experts can use its familiar word processor-style functionality for data entry or for accessing and editing their content.

Authentic Desktop Edition allows end users to create, open, view, and edit XML and database files. Users enter and edit data in intuitive electronic forms that are based on properties defined in stylesheets created using Altova StyleVision® 2008.

The Desktop Edition is ideal for workflows where a content contributor or end user occasionally needs to work on XML files or database data in a self-contained environment on a single workstation, with no connection to the Internet (nor, perhaps, their local area network).

Authentic Desktop Edition can also access XML documents, databases, and stylesheets over network connections, even by URL. These methods are appropriate for groups that work independently, but want to manage files in a central location.

The Authentic Desktop Edition user interface is identical to the Authentic View in XMLSpy and in StyleVision. This consistency allows collaborators to edit code in XMLSpy and developers to visually design stylesheets in StyleVision, then immediately and conveniently preview example documents in Authentic View, exactly as Desktop Edition users will see them.

Authentic Desktop Edition is an excellent data-input component for XML authoring or single source publishing projects, since it facilitates a variety of XSL transformations on XML documents. For instance, using the Desktop Edition end users can create a new XML document, or edit an existing one, then apply XSL transformations to produce HTML, RTF, PDF, and Word 2007 (OOXML) output, and any number of industry standard XML formats (DocBook, DITA, etc.).

Some users will appreciate the option to view embedded XML tags in their documents through a format that shields the underlying XML structure from unintentional or careless changes. For instance, a scientific researcher may want to look deeper into the XML markup to better understand relationships and dependencies of complex data, even though his file must remain compliant with an established standard.

For these types of applications, Authentic Desktop Edition lets the user activate display of the XML tags for transparent inspection. Entry helpers are provided to assist with creation or editing of content, and the Info window provides a specialized description of each element.

When editing database data, a special menu option prompts the user to start by selecting the stylesheet that defines the database connection and specifies an Authentic interface.

Working entirely in Authentic, with no specialized knowledge of the underlying database technology, an end user can view database tables, edit or delete existing records, and insert and append new data.

The display of database components is defined by the Authentic form, and it can be designed to take advantage of XSL transformations to enable generation of reports in HTML, RTF, PDF or Word 2007 (OOXML) formats.

Intuitive buttons are available to facilitate navigation through the records of each database table. This is especially useful for large databases, since the number of records displayed can be restricted to keep the form manageable and speed up navigation.

Special tools also simplify editing of database table rows. An entire row can be deleted or a new one added with a single click.

Real-time validation assures that user input is consistent with the requirements of each field. For example, rows containing data that has been edited but not yet saved are automatically underlined, and fields that contain invalid entries are highlighted.

Authentic e-Forms can be defined to create partial views of a database, displaying only certain database tables or field names. For example, an Authentic electronic form could create an employee telephone directory by displaying only the names, job titles, and office phone numbers from a much more elaborate human resources database.

You can also design an Authentic form to allow users to query a database and display just the records that match customized search criteria.

Through Authentic e-Forms, users are presented with richly-formatted views that can include rules, colors, highlighting, custom fonts, etc. so that the content of the information is clear and the necessary underlying structure is not a distraction or impediment.

Unleashing this powerful functionality turns Authentic Desktop Edition into an easy-to-use editing application for databases. You can update the information or search for just what you need, then apply an XSL transformation to create an eye-catching report.

No document or database exists in a vacuum. Using the Authentic Desktop Edition Project View, files and frequently used URLs can be grouped into projects contained in logical folders of any arbitrary structure. The folders can correspond to actual directories on a file system, classifications can be defined for each folder to keep common files together. It's important to note that the project folders are virtual folders and do not need to correspond to any hierarchical organization of the files a hard disk, server, or network directory.

Different XSL transformation parameters can be assigned to each folder and even place the same physical file can be placed in more than one project folder - this is especially useful when you want to keep your data in one XML file and use different will be transformed using multiple XSL stylesheets to produce different outputs (e.g., separate HTML and PDF presentations).

If Authentic is used with projects containing many individual files, the Authentic Desktop Edition tabbed validation window can be especially helpful. The validation window provides granular details about each error, including:

• The reason for the error
• A link to the error in the working XML file
• A link to the corresponding definition(s) in the associated schema file
• Links to relevant information in the applicable specification on the W3C Web site

Clicking any error listed in the validation window automatically opens the associated file and highlights the element in question. Errors in the list can also be viewed by using the Next and Previous buttons on the validation toolbar, which also automatically opens the associated files with errors highlighted. Clicking the purple DEF button next to any message opens the relevant portion of the associated XML Schema or DTD definition, and clicking the blue hyperlinked text next to any error links to the relevant portion of the defining specification on the W3C Web site.

The window provides nine tabs for storing and organizing messages when the validator is run more than once. For instance, if multiple files have validation errors, the user might wish to preserve this list on one tab and re-validate each file on a separate tab as the errors are fixed.

Once the project is built, most commands can be applied either to the entire project or to a selected group of files or folders. Project-wide commands include:

• Check well-formedness
• Validate
• XSL transformation
• Send email

The Project Properties page enables various options for batch processing commands for each folder.

See for yourself how powerful and flexible Authentic® 2008 Desktop Edition can be as the data-entry element of your XML and database-oriented applications:

• Click here to download a free copy today!

Authentic® 2008 is also available in a free Browser Edition.