StyleVision New Features Index

What's New in StyleVision?

Save up to 40% off the regular price of StyleVision when you upgrade to the current version. Learn more . . .

Learn about all the additional capabilities you’ll get by upgrading from an older version to StyleVision® 2012!

Click on the version you’re using now, then scroll up to see the major new features added in each later release. When you upgrade, you’ll gain immediate access to all this added functionality.

StyleVision is available in Enterprise Edition, Professional Edition, and Basic Edition. For a comprehensive list of features in each edition, visit the StyleVision Edition Comparison.

Click your current StyleVision version in this list, then scroll back up to see what was added in later releases:

StyleVision® 2012 (October 19, 2011)

Composite styles – Control multiple style features via XPath
Dynamic class assignment for HTML, Word, RTF, PDF, and Authentic
Dynamic CSS selection via XPath
Support for HTML5 and CSS3
JDBC database driver support
Java API
New samples for API use – code samples help developers immediately utilize the APIs to automate StyleVision in their preferred environment

See the What’s New page for a more detailed description of the new features of StyleVision® 2012 and the latest releases of Altova’s other award-winning development tools!

StyleVision® 2011 release 3 (June 8, 2011)

Support for XML digital signatures – facilitate the secure exchange of documents among business users
Support for new PXF (Portable XML Form) file format – dramatically increases the portability of StyleVision designs, the Authentic electronic form in particular
New spell checker with improved dictionary support
Support for Internet Explorer® 9
Support for .TIFF, .JPEG XR, and .SVG image formats
Scripting editor supports .NET 4.0
Ability to add additional .NET assemblies for scripting – now enjoy easy access to external .NET assemblies from the Global Assemblies Cache (GAC), MSVS .NET References, or assembly files stored on your network or machine

Scroll up to see the major features added in more recent releases.

StyleVision® 2011 release 2 (February 16, 2011)

Barcode support – StyleVision has now integrated all of the barcode implementations provided by the BarCode4J library
Ability to generate multiple output files from a single design template
Ability to define reusable XPath expressions – lets users define their own XPath functions, which can be used anywhere in their stylesheet designs (i.e. conditions, auto-calculations, etc.)
Support for embedded images in XML
Additional chart types and features
Ability to generate ASPX Web applications – allows customers to easily deploy dynamic Web sites with design and functionality dictated in StyleVision templates
PDF bookmark tree
Ability to create visible/internal combobox values – allows users to create two separate sets of data for comboboxes: entries that will be visible to the Authentic user, and data that will be written to the XML source file

Scroll up to see the major features added in more recent releases.

StyleVision® 2011 (September 8, 2010)

Charts as a new design element – charts can be rendered for multi-channel output in HTML, RTF, PDF, Word 2007+, and as electronic forms
Chart wizard for XBRL files – allows users to generate charts in their XBRL reports using a comprehensive wizard
Scripting & toolbar editor for Authentic – allows users to interact with XML and database reports using forms, event handlers, and macros created in the Scripting Editor interface
Multi-channel output of HTML/CALS tables – StyleVision will automatically recognize values dictating table structure such as column number, row height, etc., and apply them to rendered output
Assigning styles to HTML/CALS tables – enables customers to add information that may be missing from the source format
Multiple assignments to HTML/CALS tables in a single schema – allows users to differentiate between similar data structures and define separate styles to each using the Edit HTML/CALS tables dialog
Ability to import existing XSLT files – users will now be able to base their designs on existing XSLT files that were designed for HTML output or XSL files with XSL:FO commands for output in PDF

Scroll up to see the major features added in more recent releases.

StyleVision® 2010 release 3 (May 5, 2010)

Support for iXBRL – allows users to embed XBRL fragments in HTML documents
Global templates for any element – enables StyleVision users to easily create modular designs and manage large documentation efforts with ease
Support for Visual Studio 2010

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StyleVision® 2010 release 2 (February 16, 2010)

64-bit version – for use with 64-bit operating systems
Support for editable variables in Authentic eForms – allows users to add variables to the design template itself, rather than needing to modify the underlying XML Schema file.
Keyboard shortcuts for moving layout boxes
Enclose/remove templates for table rows and columns
Enhanced header/footer options
Support for vertical text
Ability to pass parameters to design fragments

Scroll up to see the major features added in more recent releases.

StyleVision® 2010 (October 28, 2009)

Completely new design paradigm – adds to the flexibility to the design process, letting users approach StyleVision in the same way they use other design applications - specifying layout first and adding content after
True electronic form design through absolute positioning – lets users specify an exact static location for any content element(s) in their template designs
Ability to print design templates – promotes easy collaboration with other stakeholders, allowing them to preview document markup and design before XML, database, and/or XBRL-derived content is added to the generated output
Support for multiple page layouts in one document – lets users work even more seamlessly with printed media, in which it is often necessary to combine portrait and landscape modes, have different headers and footers, variable page sizes, etc.
Inline HTML, XSLT processing commands – gives users additional flexibility in their design, enabling them to use functionality that is not sometimes natively supported in StyleVision
Inline XSL:FO processing commands – gives users additional flexibility in their design, enabling them to use functionality that is not sometimes natively supported in StyleVision.
Extension templates based on any XPath – allows for full flexibility in selecting nodes and values from any XML location and in any combination within a document(s)
Ability to import external XSLT files
Column formatting for print output formats – allows users to create static columns in their template designs for printed output, which is essential for newspaper-type layouts
XHTML output option
Disable-output-escaping function – enables developers to render code as-is, without it being transformed by a processor
Ability to modify output DPI – lets users accurately fine-tune the conversion from pixel units to absolute units (cm, in, etc.) for better control over how CSS settings get applied to print output formats
Support for variables in design – enables users to declare variables based on any XPath expression
Native code calls (.NET, Java, JavaScript, etc.) in XPath statements
Support for fixed lines in form design
Internet Explorer support extended to include IE8
Compatibility with Windows 7

Scroll up to see the major features added in more recent releases.

StyleVision® 2009 (February 3, 2009)

XBRL design for financial reporting –enables organizations to share customized business data in online or print format(s) with business partners, stakeholders, and regulatory commissions, all based on XBRL taxonomy requirements
All-new design for tables – allows users to create and edit tables that have a mixture of dynamic and static properties, and also to insert XPath conditions that apply to entire rows or columns
Direct template filtering with XPath – allows large amounts of data to be automatically ignored by the rendering engine (e.g. AltovaXML, Apache FOP) based on specific cases
Visual Studio & Eclipse integration – gives users access to StyleVision's graphical interface and unique stylesheet design capabilities directly from within their favorite IDE
Native support for XML fields in SQL Server – lets users associate XML fields in SQL Server databases with XML Schemas so that the defined data elements can be easily incorporated into the design for rendering and publishing
Support for additional databases – SQL Server 2008, Oracle 11g, and PostgreSQL 8
Support for Apache FOP 0.95

Scroll up to see the major features added in more recent releases.

StyleVision® 2008 release 2 (April 29, 2008)

Native support for OOXML – allows users to automatically generate DOCX output based on stylesheet designs
Support for Grouping – provides users with a simple method of grouping XML elements for reorganizing data presentation
Support for Complex and Simple types in XML Schema – increases schema portability and usability by enabling users to define type-based global elements
Database Views – allows developers and DBAs to render custom views created from their relational database data
Inline PK/FK creation – allows users to create unique identifiers for database records on-the-fly
Support for SQL SELECT statements – enables users to use any SELECT statement as input for rendering
Sample XML Schema generation based on an XML instance – allows users to create stylesheets based on XML input when there is no XML Schema available.
Embedded images and image sizing support in RTF
Native support for XSL:FO styles for page processing
Project management support
RTF support now extends to Professional Edition

Scroll up to see the major features added in more recent releases.

StyleVision® 2008 (September 12, 2007)

Modular StyleVision design files – allows users to import existing StyleVision designs to reuse their work in multiple projects
Database Connection Wizard – simplifies connecting to supported databases
Database Query window – allows users to query supported databases directly within StyleVision
Refactoring support when working with XML Schemas – detects changes made to source XML Schemas and allows designers to easily update StyleVision design files

Scroll up to see the major features added in more recent releases.

StyleVision® 2007 release 3 (May 30, 2007)

New StyleVision Basic Edition – visual stylesheet design tool for rendering XML data in HTML format
Support for tables of contents – a context-sensitive right click menu and wizard allow users to tag items in a design for inclusion in the TOC
Rendering and editing of database XML fields – simply associate database XML fields with XML Schemas then drag defined data elements on to the design pane for rendering and publishing (IBM DB2 9 only for this release)
Support for design fragments – save a set of formatting rules as a template and re-use that template throughout a design as required
Support for FOP 0.93 processor

Scroll up to see the major features added in more recent releases.

StyleVision® 2007 (October 24, 2006)

Support for specifying style values based on XPath expressions – each XPath expression is evaluated at runtime, and the result is entered as the value of the property
Ability to set conditions dependent on output type – fine-tune output for HTML, PDF, RTF, or Authentic forms by setting conditions for each output format as needed
Support for sorting data at runtime – a handy Sort dialog lets you define which elements should be sorted, whether they are numbers or text, and whether they should be displayed in ascending or descending order in the resulting HTML, PDF, and RTF output files
Rendering and editing of CDATA nodes – render CDATA elements in each output format and edit CDATA nodes in Authentic view
Page count totals – for headers and footers in the style (Page X of XX) for output to PDF and RTF

Scroll up to see the major features added in more recent releases.

StyleVision® 2006 release 3 (June 1, 2006)

CSS Support – provides support for cascading stylesheets, enabling users to specify more precise visual styling rules to transform XML and database content into HTML pages. Users can import existing CSS files into the new Style Repository Entry Helper and apply the CSS styles easily using drag-and-drop functionality
Multiple Source Stylesheet Design – enables the design of stylesheets that use multiple sources, such as two or more XML files, an XML file and a database, etc. Allows users to combine data from multiple sources and output it simultaneously in HTML, RTF, and PDF formats
JavaScript Support – adds interactivity to HTML pages with a built-in JavaScript editor for composing JavaScript code that StyleVision can automatically insert into the corresponding XSLT 1.0 or 2.0 stylesheet
User Interface Enhancements – including windows that can be customized, floated, and docked as required; support for working with multiple designs at one time; and a new Design Tree window for viewing and expanding all the specifics of a design in one place. Also includes a new Style Repository window that makes it easy to organize and apply styles including those from external CSS files, and a Local Properties window for viewing and editing the properties for each element and output format as a design is created

Scroll up to see the major features added in more recent releases.

StyleVision® 2005 release 4 (October 3, 2005)

Enhanced standards support – updated XSLT 2.0 and XPath 2.0 support in compliance with the latest World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Working Drafts released on September 15, 2005
Schema-awareness in XSLT 2.0 Engine – increased functionality and enhanced code performance

Scroll up to see the major features added in more recent releases.

StyleVision® 2005 (October 3, 2004)

XSLT 2.0 Support – auto-generate standards-compliant, error-free stylesheets using XSLT 2.0 and instantly preview results
XPath 2.0 Support – allows users to design stylesheets that support advanced data grouping and aggregation functions, and automatically creates XPath 2.0 selectors for use in building stylesheets
RTF Output – auto-generates output in this popular word processing format and allows users to simultaneously view the results in Microsoft® Word®
Creation of Database-Enabled Electronic Forms – allows users to design and produce intuitive Altova Authentic electronic forms for writing to, and reading from, all popular relational databases

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StyleVision® 2004 release 4 (May 17, 2004)

All new version – completely restructured around its graphical stylesheet designer functionality. StyleVision 2004 superseded the stylesheet designer application formerly sold with XMLSpy
Database reporting – allows users to access database data from any major database, process it in XML, and render eye-catching HTML pages or PDF reports
Authentic Forms preview – provides ability to design and preview Authentic Forms, which give business users a non-technical way to enter and edit XML content using the word processor-like interface of Altova Authentic
Support for command line operations – allows systems integrators to call its functionality from within other applications without spawning its graphical user interface

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Stylesheet Designer® 2004 release 3 (October 21, 2003)

Predefined document formats – for easy reuse, or to use as a starting point for customization
Improved support for working with XML entities – e.g. displaying images from both parsed and unparsed entities, add/delete entity definitions for document, etc.
Numerous performance and usability enhancements

Scroll up to see the major features added in more recent releases.

Stylesheet Designer® 5 (September 16, 2002)

This was the initial precursor of StyleVision, bundled with the companion version of XMLSpy.

Powerful conversion utilities – for painless migration of traditional HTML websites to advanced XML-based sites
Compliance with then-new Internet standards – XML, XSLT & XML Schema
HTML importing – the process by which any traditional HTML page is distilled and separated into three files: an XSLT stylesheet for presentation, an XML Schema, and the XML document that contains the page's content itself
Visual drag-and-drop interface – users can separate a page's presentation from content by dragging existing content from an existing HTML file and assigning it to a content model.

Scroll up to see the major features added in more recent releases.

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