ProductsWhat's New?

On October 28, 2009, Altova introduced Version 2010 (v2010) of its entire product line. Altova Software Version 2010 includes support for additional technologies, such as WSDL 2.0 support in XMLSpy and MapForce, JSON editing and conversion in XMLSpy, and SysML support in UModel. The new version also delivers enhanced support for technologies like XBRL, offers a completely new design paradigm that gives StyleVision users a new option for creating stylesheets, and much more.

Version 2010 is a free update for current customers with a valid Support and Maintenance Package.

Altova customers with an active Support & Maintenance Package (SMP) receive all major software upgrades and maintenance releases, in addition to priority technical support, at no additional cost during their SMP period. Customers with current SMP have received all the features below - just by downloading and installing the latest product version as soon as it’s available.

Visit the Altova download page to update to v2010 now.

Select a link below to learn what's new in each Altova product:

• Altova MissionKit
• XMLSpy
• MapForce
• StyleVision
• UModel
• DatabaseSpy
• DiffDog
• Authentic

Altova MissionKit 2010

The Altova MissionKit is an integrated suite of XML, database, and UML tools available at a special price. When you choose the Altova MissionKit, you'll get up to eight products for less than the price of two!*

Most Wanted Features

Altova Software Version 2010 delivers the “Most Wanted” functionality – over 70 of the features most requested by you, our customers. We have listened to customer feedback from various channels and focused on delivering the features and functionality that our users need most in this latest release.

The Altova MissionKit now also supports Windows 7, the latest version of the Windows operating system from Microsoft.

All new features in Altova products included in the MissionKit 2010 are detailed in the sections below.

Update to the Altova MissionKit 2010 or download a free, 30-day trial now.

* Pricing comparison is edition-specific and based on Altova MissionKit vs. two individual licenses of XMLSpy and MapForce.

[BACK TO TOP]

New in XMLSpy 2010

XMLSpy 2010 delivers a host of powerful new functionality, including support for editing WSDL 2.0 files, multiple enhancements for working with XBRL taxonomies and documents, a JSON editor and converter, and more.

New features in XMLSpy v2010 include:

• WSDL 2.0 editing and conversion
• XBRL documentation generation
• XBRL Taxonomy Wizard
• Printing graphical XBRL View
• Find in XBRL, XBRL sorting
• JSON editor  
• JSON <=> XML conversion  
• New scripting environment and forms editor  

WSDL 2.0 editing and conversion

The unique graphical WSDL editor in XMLSpy® 2010 now supports both WSDL 1.1 and WSDL 2.0, giving developers the choice of which version of the standard to work with. WSDL 2.0 represents a significant change compared to version 1.1, and the ability for customers to create, edit, and validate either version in XMLSpy is a huge benefit.

The graphical WSDL editor allows you to edit your WSDL 1.1 or 2.0 file in a visual manner, using drag-and-drop functionality and context-sensitive entry helpers, which offer the relevant choices based on your selected WSDL version.

In addition, for teams migrating from WSDL 1.1, XMLSpy supports one-click conversion to WSDL 2.0.

An oft-requested feature, WSDL 2.0 editing and conversion provides much needed functionality for Web services developers and should allow for a seamless transition to the new version of the standard.

XBRL documentation generation

To further facilitate XBRL taxonomy development in its graphical XBRL Taxonomy Editor, XMLSpy 2010 now supports the generation of comprehensive XBRL documentation.

Multiple options for what information to include in documentation (below) are available, and documentation may be generated in HTML, Microsoft® Word, or RTF.

A snippet from generated documentation is shown below. Related components are hyperlinked in the onscreen output, allowing users to easily navigate from component to component.

Generation of XBRL documentation is a must-have feature for anyone creating, editing, or extending an XBRL taxonomy.

XBRL Taxonomy Wizard

The new XBRL Taxonomy Wizard in XMLSpy 2010 complements the powerful graphical XBRL Taxonomy Editor by giving users a head start when extending an industry-standard XBRL taxonomy, or even starting from scratch creating a new taxonomy.

You simply use the File/New dialog to begin a new XBRL Taxonomy Schema, and XMLSpy prompts you to select the existing base taxonomy (e.g., US-GAAP, IFRS, etc.) you wish to extend (if any).

Once you enter the company ticker or name, XMLSpy automatically creates and saves the required taxonomy files…

…and allows you to define the entry points of the taxonomy you are extending.

Once you click finish, XMLSpy 2010 displays the newly created taxonomy files in XBRL view, where you can continue editing and refining the taxonomy in a graphical manner.

The new XBRL Taxonomy Wizard is an invaluable time-saver when you need to create a new taxonomy – even if you're new to XBRL.

Printing graphical XBRL view

This new feature allows you to print the graphical representation of your XBRL taxonomy as it is displayed in the graphical XBRL View. Below is an example of the print-preview of an XBRL taxonomy:

Find in XBRL, XBRL sorting

When working in XBRL View, the new Find in XBRL tab of the XMLSpy 2010 output window (which you can also activate using Ctrl-F) allows you to search an entire XBRL taxonomy or document, with advanced options for narrowing your results. Results are listed in the output window, where multiple tabs let you store numerous queries. Clicking any item in the results window navigates to that specific location in the document.

This functionality makes finding information in XBRL files, which tend to be rather large and complex, much easier.

The XBRL sorting in XMLSpy 2010 also makes it easier to view and navigate your file in XBRL view, allowing you to sort elements by name, substitution group, or type.

JSON Editor

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a light-weight, text-based language for data interchange. JSON is often used for serializing and transmitting structured data over a network connection and thus is commonly used in AJAX and Web services applications. It was originally based on a subset of the JavaScript language, but is nowadays considered programming language-independent as parsers for JSON are readily available in multiple languages.

Now XMLSpy 2010 users can edit JSON files using the same intuitive Text and Grid Views available for XML editing. In fact, you can even convert between JSON and XML (see below).

When editing JSON in Text View, syntax coloring, line numbering, source folding, bookmarking, and more make it easy to comprehend and navigate the JSON code, and find and edit strings. The Elements entry helper window provides an easy way to view the elements present in the document. You can insert an element from the Elements window by double clicking it, or by dragging it into the editing window.

Editing JSON in XMLSpy’s Grid View lets you view the JSON structure in a graphical manner. XMLSpy displays the structure of the JSON document in a tree view / outline view.

Unlike any other XML editor, XMLSpy supports both JSON and XML, giving you an easy way to work with JSON in the same environment where you're developing XML, AJAX, and Web services applications. This puts an end to the recent “XML vs. JSON” arguments and gives developers the best of both worlds.

JSON <=> XML conversion

XMLSpy 2010 supports one-click conversion between XML and JSON files, allowing you to, for example, quickly convert an XML file to JSON for transport with JavaScript, or convert data received in JSON format to valid XML.

New scripting environment and forms editor

Scripts, which can be written in JavaScript or VBScript, are used to access and interact with the XMLSpy API, allowing you to modify and add functionality to your installation of XMLSpy. In the scripting environment, you can create forms, event handlers, and macros, and assign a set of these to a scripting project. The scripting project is then assigned to an XMLSpy project. An event handler is executed when its associated event occurs in XMLSpy. Alternatively, a macro created in the scripting environment can be run from within XMLSpy.

The scripting environment and forms editor in XMLSpy 2010 has been redesigned and optimized, with improvements including:

• Access to most of the .NET framework
• New form editor controls
• Testing & debugging of macros directly in scripting editor
• Execution of macros directly through XMLSpy menu
• Improved entry-helpers & auto-completion in scripting editor

Download a free trial of XMLSpy 2010 now. Or, if you’re already an XMLSpy user, learn more about all the new features that have been added since you last upgraded.

[BACK TO TOP]

New in MapForce 2010

Mapping data from/into multiple files, using input/output file names as parameters, and additional flexibility for EDI integration, and support for WSDL 2.0 are just a few of the exciting new features that have been added to MapForce® 2010 in response to a significant number of customer requests.

New features in MapForce 2010 include:

• Processing data from/into multiple files   
• Using input/output file names as parameters   
• Support for xsi:type in XML Schema   
• EDI file validation in generated code
• Support for additional EDIFACT messages
• Support for WSDL 2.0

Mapping data from/into multiple files

MapForce now lets you process data from or into multiple files. This means that you can easily consolidate file collections by aggregating data from a directory into one file or output data from one file to many. Multiple file names can be specified through the use of wildcard characters (e.g., ? or *), through a database table, auto-number sequences, or through other methods.

For example, it may be necessary to create a mapping from a file collection, or to generate individual XML files for each main table record in a large database.

The simple example below shows a mapping in which two files from a directory are used as the source data for a mapping into a single target file.

The output file generated from this mapping is easily saved to any location from the Output Preview window.

In order to separate the output results into two separate XML files, simply add a connection between the two file items at the top of each mapping component.

Using input/output file names as parameters

A complement to the feature above, the ability to use input or output file names as parameters in MapForce lets you generate dynamic mappings in which this information is defined at run-time.

In the example below, this is accomplished by creating an input parameter and connecting it to the file item node of a mapping component.

This feature is extremely valuable for real-time transformations, when the input and output file names are not necessarily known until transformation occurs. Parameters created in MapForce mappings are passed on for use via the command line or generated code.

Support for xsi:type in XML Schema

MapForce now supports the use of <xsi:type> within XML documents. <xsi:type> is an attribute that can be used in any XML instance to explicitly select an element's type, for example if the corresponding schema specifies an abstract type only.

For example, if you are dealing with a collection of address elements it may be desirable to create an abstract type, AddressType, in your XML Schema and then have each instance of an address element determine the derived type (USAddressType, UKAddressType, GermanAddressType, etc.).

MapForce now properly analyzes XML Schemas to determine where in an XML instance document the <xsi:type> attribute could be applicable and displays this as a clickable button in the mapping component. This lets you choose to display the derived types as separate nodes if a different mapping is needed depending on the specifics of the derived types.

This often requested feature gives you increased flexibility in your XML data mappings.

EDI file validation in generated code

MapForce now lets you validate the EDI output of your mappings not just within MapForce but also within the generated code. This helps you to maintain the integrity of your infrastructure by ensuring that only valid EDI messages are processed.

The screenshot above shows EDI validation within MapForce, which has existed already in v2009. The same validation functionality is now available in v2010 in the generated code.

Support for additional EDIFACT messages

MapForce has added support for three new EDIFACT messages:

	CONTRL		–		Syntax & Service Report for Batch EDI
	AUTACK		–		Secure Authentication & Acknowledgement
	KEYMAN		–		Security Key & Certificate Management

These are control messages and are not included in the standard EDIFACT directories, but are described separately under syntax documentation published by the Joint Syntax Working Group.

The configuration files for these EDI messages for all released versions are available as a free download from the Altova Web site.

Support for WSDL 2.0

MapForce now supports WSDL 2.0 recommendation from the W3C for building and connecting to Web services MapForce automatically recognizes the syntax of WSDL 2.0 documents and applies appropriate processing rules.

MapForce automatically detects whether your Web service is based on WSDL 1.1 or 2.0 and components are depicted accordingly in the design interface.

Download a free trial of MapForce 2010 now. Or, if you’re already a MapForce user, learn more about all the new features that have been added since you last upgraded.

[BACK TO TOP]

New in StyleVision 2010

Multiple new features and usability enhancements have been added to StyleVision® 2010 based on customer requests. All of these combine to streamline e-Form development and template design and portability for more efficient reporting based on XML, XBRL, and database sources.

New features in StyleVision 2010 include:

• Completely new design paradigm   
• True electronic forms design through absolute positioning in design layouts   
• Ability to print design templates   
• Support for multiple page layouts in one document  
• Inline HTML, XSLT, XSL:FO processing commands   
• Extension templates based on any XPath   
• Ability to import external XSLT files   
• Column formatting for print output formats  
• XHTML output option   
• Disable-output-escaping function   
• Ability to modify output DPI  
• Support for variables in design   
• Native code calls (.NET, Java, JavaScript, etc.) in XPath statements   
• Support for fixed lines in form design   
• Internet Explorer support extended to include IE8   

Completely new design paradigm

StyleVision now gives you the option to create templates within layout containers and even optionally upload a blueprint image. This feature adds a whole new flexibility to the design process, letting you approach StyleVision in the same way that you use other design applications - specifying layout first and adding content after.

This new feature, coupled with absolute positioning (below), makes StyleVision a powerful tool for true electronic forms design.

Layout containers can:

• Be inserted within document templates or encompass the entire document.
• Inherit the dimensions of the document section or have user-defined dimensions.
• Be assigned any number of style properties (borders, background color, font, etc.).
• Contain a blueprint image to serve as a reference template for the design.

Layout container characteristics are accessible through the Properties and Styles windows.

True electronic forms design through absolute positioning

In order to accurately produce stunning electronic forms that realistically mirror printed form designs, StyleVision now includes the ability to absolutely position all layout elements, boxes, containers, etc. Instead of having content and layout elements flow on the page automatically like a typical web page layout, you can now specify exact x and y coordinates for each element to absolutely position them on a page.

This feature gives designers and developers more control in their form design in the manner of desktop publishing applications, but also adds the powerful single source publishing capabilities for XML, XBRL, and database data that have always been present in StyleVision.

Ability to print design templates

StyleVision now lets you print design templates directly from the user interface for documentation purposes. This 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

StyleVision now allows you to create multiple page layouts within the same document. This is very useful for printed media, in which it is often necessary to combine portrait and landscape modes, have different headers and footers, variable page sizes, etc.

This feature is enabled through the Insert Page/Column/Section menu, where selecting New Document Section lets you easily define any of these settings.

Inline HTML, XSLT, XSL:FO processing commands

The ability to use inline HTML, XSLT, and XSL:FO processing commands gives you additional flexibility in your design, enabling you to use functionality that is not sometimes natively supported in StyleVision.

User-defined items, namely user-defined elements or user-defined blocks, can be inserted at almost any point in a design template. An example using XSL:FO to insert a title page appears below.

Extension templates based on any XPath

StyleVision 2010 lets you use the flexibility of any XPath statement to specify output for your designs. XPath wildcards (*, node(), etc.) and the | operator, for example, can now be used for user-designed templates that can output a wide range of variable data based on the referenced XML source code. This allows for full flexibility in selecting nodes and values from any XML location and in any combination within your document(s).

Ability to import external XSLT files

StyleVision 2010 now allows you to import external XSLT files as part of their template designs. This adds an xsl:import statement to the StyleVision stylesheet and enables designers to augment their hard coded XSLT files with styles and other integrated features from the StyleVision design interface.

Column formatting for print output formats

StyleVision now allows you to create static columns in their template designs for printed output, which is essential for newspaper-type layouts. One characteristic of those columnar layouts is that content automatically flows from the bottom of one column to the top of the next. In addition, the Insert Page/Column/Section > New Column option, which can also be accessed in the context menu, can be used to force content into a new column.

XHTML output option

StyleVision now lets you choose whether you would like to generate HTML 4.01 or XHTML 1.0 Transitional documents from your template designs. This setting can be selected or modified at any time in the Properties window.

Disable-output-escaping function

The disable-output-escaping function is used in XSLT to enable developers to render code as-is, without it being transformed by a processor. This is commonly used when there are CDATA sections in source files or the XML is used as a wrapper for HTML. This feature is available in the Properties dialog.

Ability to modify output DPI

StyleVision now allows you to control the print output resolution in your designs in the Properties dialog by specifying the DPI. This lets you 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

StyleVision now lets you declare variables based on any XPath expression (previous support for variables was limited to a specifically selected node in the template design). This feature can be accessed by simply right-clicking the node template where the variable is to be applied. You can also rely on the XPath Builder to ensure a valid XPath statement.

Native code calls (.NET, Java, JavaScript, etc.) in XPath statements

StyleVision 2010 now supports the use of native code calls in XPath statements. For example, the XPath expressions below are examples of using Java and .NET extension functions in auto-calculations.

	Java:		java:java.util.Date.toString(java:java.util.Date.new() )
	.NET:		clitype:System.Math.PI()

Support for fixed lines in form design

Fixed lines can be inserted in StyleVision layout boxes and their properties are easily set and modified in the Properties window. Lines can be drawn in virtually any length and direction for absolute positioning.

Internet Explorer support extended to include IE8

StyleVision's support for Internet Explorer has been extended to include the newest version of the browser, IE8.

Download a free trial of StyleVision 2010 now. Or, if you’re already a StyleVision user, learn more about all the new features that have been added since you last upgraded.

[BACK TO TOP]

New in UModel 2010

Altova UModel® 2010 combines a rich visual interface, superior usability features, and high-end code engineering functionality to make software modeling practical for any project. UModel 2010 includes these new productivity-enhancing features:

• Support for SysML
• Enhanced integrated scripting environment
• Automatically generate multiple sequence diagrams  
• Additional enhancements for diagramming, documentation generation, and code engineering  

Support for SysML

UModel 2010 Enterprise Edition supports SysML (Systems Modeling Language). SysML is a graphical language for modeling software that is related to UML, but SysML is optimized for designing software to operate and control embedded systems and other complex devices.

Frequently an embedded system is called a black box. Software to control these complex devices at their most basic levels can be especially difficult to develop, test, and debug because they receive inputs and produce outputs, but the internal operations and states can be opaque. Software modeling through SysML provides a traceable software blueprint that is useful for planning, designing, and testing the system under development and can be an invaluable communication aid among developers and other project stakeholders.

Safety issues are frequently a major concern in embedded systems development. Think of the specialized software required for the automotive and aviation industries, or software to control medical devices as several obvious examples. A SysML software model can be part of the system documentation and can assist in completing certification and compliance requirements.

SysML uses seven diagram types that are part of the UML specification, making it a smaller, more specialized graphical software modeling language that can be easier to learn and apply. Additionally, SysML adds two diagrams that are not part of UML, requirement diagrams and parametric diagrams. Requirement diagrams describe functional, performance, and interface requirements – physical properties not easily described in a traditional UML use case diagram. SysML uses parametric diagrams to precisely define performance and mechanical constraints such as reliability or weight requirements that are not captured in any UML diagram.

The screen shot below shows a SysML requirements diagram in UModel 2010 describing design constraints of a bank ATM.

SysML evolved from a set of early competing variations and was adopted by the OMG (Object Management Group) in 2006. The most recent SysML v 1.1 specification was published by the OMG in December 2008. SysML supports model interchange between tools through the XMI specification, the same mechanism supported by UML.

A SysML structure diagram in UModel 2010 describing the components of a bank ATM.

SysML is a visual modeling language, it is not a specific methodology or tool. In that sense, SysML is both vendor-neutral, like UML, and SysML also does not require any particular development process or style, also like UML.

Altova UModel 2010 supports all SysML v1.1 diagram types and elements with code generation in Java, C#, and Visual Basic.

Enhanced Integrated Scripting Environment

Building on the UModel Application Programmers Interface (API) introduced in version 2009, Altova UModel 2010 adds a scripting environment and form editor similar to the XMLSpy script editor.

This functionality permits users to automate UModel operations from within UModel itself. Users can write and save macros to perform repeating tasks, or use the interactive form editor to specify operations to be performed through the scripting environment.

The Scripting Editor permits interactive drag and drop definition of pop-up forms with code generation or direct editing of the underlying JScript or VBScript code.

The screen shot below shows the UModel 2010 form editor in the UModel Scripting Editor window.

	Click to enlarge

Major features of the Scripting Editor include:

• Access to most of the .NET framework
• Rich form editor controls
• Testing and debugging macros directly in the Scripting Editor
• Execution of macros directly through UModel Tools menu
• Entry helpers and auto-completion within the Scripting Editor

Automatically generate multiple sequence diagrams

UModel 2010 introduces a new option in the Project menu that allows users to efficiently generate multiple sequence diagrams from reverse engineered Java, C#, and Visual Basic application code.

Sequence diagrams are an invaluable aid to developers seeking to debug or reuse an existing application. UModel 2010 now provides a tool that allows users to quickly and easily expose multiple operations in multiple classes for visual analysis. The sequence diagrams drawn from class operations are added to the model tree and can be reviewed immediately in the main UModel diagramming window and the overview window. The sequence diagrams are also saved as a permanent part of the UML model and can be included in project documentation.

Reverse engineered code often includes large numbers of classes containing multiple operations. The UModel sequence diagram generation dialog presents an expandable representation of the Model Tree that permits navigation and selection of the operations from the application’s classes. The dialog box itself can be stretched to facilitate analysis of large, complex applications.

Additional enhancements for diagramming, documentation generation, and code engineering

UModel 2010 provides enhanced control over line styles with line thickness controls that can be applied individually, in a single diagram, or across an entire project. Additionally, hyperlinks may be defined in the documentation window, and elements in the model tree may be referenced by hyperlinks. Comments entered in the documentation window can be displayed and edited directly in the diagram.

HTML documentation generation has been enhanced with support for CSS code that can either be embedded in the HTML or stored externally. The user can also specify a subdirectory where generated documentation image files are saved.

UModel 2010 includes improvements to reverse engineering of existing Java, C#, and Visual Basic code. When reverse engineering code to generate a UML model, namespace or class aliases are automatically resolved. When updating the code from the model after enhancements have been added, the correct alias definitions are again inserted.

Download a free trial of UModel 2010 now! Or, if you’re already a UModel user, learn more about all the new features that have been added since you last upgraded.

UML®, OMG™, Object Management Group™, and Unified Modeling Language™ are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Object Management Group, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.

[BACK TO TOP]

New in DatabaseSpy 2010

Altova’s unique multi-database query, design, and compare tool adds significant new features in version 2010, including special functionality for users who need to work with multiple database types:

• Comparison of database schemas
• Conversion of database structures between different database types
• Calculation and display of additional information for selected results
• Result grid printing

Comparison of database schemas

Database administrators and other IT professionals often need to compare the structures of similar databases. DatabaseSpy 2010 adds a new visual database schema comparison feature to accelerate this task.

Database schemas can be compared within the same database type, or across database types. For example, two SQL Server database structures can be compared, or a database schema in SQL Server can be compared with an Oracle database or with any other database type supported by DatabaseSpy 2010.

DatabaseSpy 2010 automatically maps corresponding components within the compared database schema structures. When components are not named identically, the user can map components manually.

	Click to enlarge

In the example shown above, the selected Employee tables are not equal. The datatypes of the title columns are highlighted to indicate they are not identical, the EyeColor column in the table on the right does not exist on the left, and so on.

DatabaseSpy 2010 allows users to create change scripts to merge differences in database schemas in either direction.

Database schema comparison settings can be saved in a file and added to a DatabaseSpy project for quick retrieval and reuse.

Conversion of database structures between different database types

Migrating an existing database from one database type to another, for instance from MySQL to SQL Server, can be a difficult and time-consuming effort due to differences in SQL dialects and datatype definitions between database vendors. DatabaseSpy 2010 speeds this job with new database structure conversion functionality.

Users of DatabaseSpy 2010 can open multiple Design Editor windows for different database types and simply drag existing tables from one database to another. In the example below, a table has been copied from MySQL to SQL Server (each database type is identified in the information bar at the bottom of the Design Editor window).

	Click to enlarge

Dragging the table to a new database instructs DatabaseSpy 2010 to create a Database Structure Change Script that contains SQL statements to create the table in the new database SQL dialect. The Database Structure Change Script can be executed immediately or saved as a SQL file for execution later, perhaps even on a different database server.

Alternatively, one or more tables can be dragged from the DatabaseSpy 2010 Online Browser directly to the Design Editor window for a different database type. In this example, multiple MySQL tables have been added to a SQL Server Design Editor:

	Click to enlarge

The Database Structure Change Script is created immediately and contains SQL statements to create all three tables.

Display of additional calculated information for selected results

DatabaseSpy 2010 now allows users to calculate and display additional information about selected data displayed in the Results window tabular display of data retrieved by SQL statements. Users can select any range, or even a group of non-contiguous cells within the Results window and choose to display:

• The count of selected cells
• The total number of selected cells containing numerical data
• The average of all selected numerical values
• The sum of all selected numerical values
• The minimum selected numerical value
• The maximum selected numerical value

The calculated information is displayed in the status bar below the Results window, and the information is immediately and automatically updated as new sets of results are selected.

	Click to enlarge

Selection of displayed information is controlled via a new DatabaseSpy 2010 right-click context menu available from the status bar.

Display of this information will help users explore and find quick answers in stored data without writing and debugging complicated SQL statements.

Result grid printing

DatabaseSpy 2010 allows users to print Results tables directly. Users may print either the entire Results table, or a selected range. A print preview is also available with enlarge / reduce functionality.

Download a free trial of DatabaseSpy 2010 now! Or, if you’re already a DatabaseSpy user, learn more about all the new features that have been added since you last upgraded.

[BACK TO TOP]

New in DiffDog 2010

New features in DiffDog 2010 extend functionality for XML and database developers and power users:

• XML Schema comparison and generation of transformations for XML data
• Database schema comparison and merging
• Pretty-print XML files before comparison  

XML Schema Comparison and Merging

DiffDog 2010 introduces a powerful new XML Schema comparison feature that goes far beyond the existing XML-aware comparison of the content of XSD files.

XML developers frequently need to modify and enhance XML Schemas as XML-based applications are designed. Similarly, users of industry-standard XML-based data exchange systems need to update XML file formats to remain compatible with evolving standards. When an XML Schema is modified, existing XML files likely also need to be modified to remain valid.

The new DiffDog 2010 Schema Comparison tool automatically maps schema elements, with a provision for manual override.

	Click to enlarge

After comparing two XML Schemas, DiffDog 2010 users can generate an XSLT file that will transform existing XML documents for the new schema. A portion of the XSLT file for the example mapping is shown below. Any title element in the source XML file will be saved as a title element in the output (lines 7-11), and any feedback element in the source will be saved as an email element in the output (lines 12-16).

Alternatively, users can choose to generate an Altova MapForce mapping file between the schemas. The mapping file is fully editable for further refinement in MapForce. In the example above, the XML Schema on the right contains the publication element, with no corresponding element on the left. MapForce could supply a string constant to fill that value during transformation.

Options for left-to-right or right-to-left translations are available via a context menu in the DiffDog 2010 XML Schema comparison window.

DiffDog 2010 even lets users save the settings for an XML Schema comparison in a file for quick and convenient reuse, or to share with other development team members.

Database schema comparison and merging

DiffDog 2010 adds a new database schema comparison functionality similar to the description in the DatabaseSpy 2010 section above. Like DatabaseSpy 2010, DiffDog 2010 can compare two versions of databases of the same type, or two schemas from different database types.

DiffDog 2010 automatically matches database elements and allows for manual override via drag and drop mapping. Differences between the database schemas are identified by color shading.

In the example below, the columns named FirstName and LastName were mapped automatically, and MiddleInitial was manually mapped to MiddleInit.

	Click to enlarge

DiffDog 2010 users can create database change scripts to merge differences in either direction. In our example the Oracle database on the right capitalized the table names Cars, CellPhones, and People, but the MySQL version on the left did not. The corresponding portion of the database change script generated by DiffDog 2010 is shown below.

All database schema merge options are available from a right-click context menu.

The context menu also offers an option to immediately open a database content comparison based on the database schemas. This makes DiffDog 2010 a single highly-productive database differencing tool to rapidly compare both database structures and database content.

	Click to enlarge

DiffDog 2010 permits users to store all database schema comparison settings, including database connection information, in a file that can be quickly reloaded later. This is extremely useful for comparisons between development and production servers that need to be performed on an ongoing basis.

	Click to enlarge

These database schema comparison files are interchangeable between DiffDog 2010 and DatabaseSpy 2010.

Pretty-print XML files before comparison

Many contemporary XML files are programmatically generated and delivered in a continuous stream without line breaks. Analyzing these files in a DiffDog XML file comparison window and merging differences can be difficult without reader-friendly formatting.

DiffDog 2010 adds a user preference to automatically pretty-print XML files as they are loaded to enable a more useful comparison result and create a more user-friendly display.

Download a free trial of DiffDog 2010 now! Or, if you’re already a DiffDog user, learn more about all the new features that have been added since you last upgraded.

[BACK TO TOP]

New in Authentic 2010

Authentic® 2010 introduces a new Enterprise Edition, which will continue to add advanced features for WYSIWYG XML and database content editing, as well as a FireFox plugin.

New features in Authentic 2010 include:

• Enterprise Edition with advanced features
• Browser plugin for Firefox®  
• Absolute positioning in design layouts
• Native code calls (.NET, Java, JavaScript, etc.) in XPath statements
• Support for fixed lines in form design
• Paste as text  
• Rendering of user-defined HTML elements/blocks
• Rendering of contents with disabled-output-escaping enabled
• Rendering of variables
• Internet Explorer support extended to include IE8  

Enterprise Edition with advanced features

Authentic is now available in Enterprise and Community Editions, both of which are available as a desktop application or browser plug-in.

Authentic 2010 Enterprise Edition requires a paid license and provides advanced features, including many of those listed below. Complete details are available on the Authentic Edition Comparison. Authentic Community Edition is available as a free license.

Browser plug-in for FireFox

In addition to support for Internet Explorer, Authentic is now available as a browser plug-in for Firefox users.

Absolute positioning in design layouts

Authentic users will be able to work with StyleVision designs that employ the new absolute positioning feature. For more information see the text under StyleVision (above).

Native code calls (.NET, Java, JavaScript, etc.) in XPath statements

Support for native code calls in XPath statements in StyleVision and Authentic means that users can access data from internal systems that is available as, for example, C# or Java calls. For more information see the text under StyleVision (above).

Support for fixed lines in form design

Authentic users will now also be able to access absolutely positioned free lines in StyleVision design templates. For more information see the text under StyleVision (above).

Paste as text

A new paste as text option lets Authentic users choose to insert data into their e-Forms as marked up XML or text only. StyleVision designer will also be able to specify which of these commands will be executed by default (i.e. Ctrl-V).

Rendering of user-defined HTML elements/blocks

Authentic users will now be able to view user-defined HTML elements/blocks that were created in StyleVision templates. This lets Authentic editors accurately visualize any ancillary markup that will be added to the output of their Web-based forms.

Rendering of contents with disabled-output-escaping enabled

Authentic users will be able to view content with disable-output-escaping enabled. Please see the corresponding feature under StyleVision for more information.

Rendering of variables

Variables created in StyleVision design templates will be viewable to the editors of Authentic e-Forms. Please see the corresponding feature under StyleVision for more information.

Internet Explorer support extended to include IE8

Authentic's support for Internet Explorer has been extended to include the newest version of the browser, IE8.

Download a free copy of Authentic 2010 now. Or, check out the Authentic 2010 product pages to compare the features in the Enterprise and Community editions.

[BACK TO TOP]