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:
How does it work? Xeena is a Java application built on top of Swing and XML Parser for JavaTM. 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. 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. |  | |
| ||
| ||
|
discuss this topic to forum
