XML is designed to store, carry, and exchange data, not to display data. When we want to view the data we must either have an XML compliant user agent or transform it to a format that can be read by other user agents. This process is known as transformation.
Status messages generated during transformation are displayed in the Information view.
Within the current version of <oXygen/> you can transform your XML documents to the following formats without having to exit from the application. For transformation to formats not listed simply install the tool chain required to perform the transformation and process the xml files created with <oXygen/> in accordance with the processor instructions.
Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) is a compact binary file format that can be viewed and printed by anyone, anywhere across a broad range of hardware and software using the free PDF Viewer from Adobe.
- PS
PostScript is the leading printing technology from Adobe for high-quality, best-in-class printing solutions ranging from desktop devices to the most advanced digital presses, platemakers, and large format image setters in the world. Postscript files can be viewed using viewers such as GhostScript, but are more commonly created as a prepress format.
- TXT
Text files are Plain ASCII Text and can be opened in any text editor or word processor.
- XML
XML stands for eXtensible Markup Language and is a W3C standard markup language, much like HTML, which was designed to describe data. XML tags are not predefined in XML. You must define your own tags. XML uses a Document Type Definition (DTD), an XML Schema or a Relax NG schema to describe the data. XML with a DTD, XML Schema or Relax NG schema is designed to be self-descriptive. XML is not a replacement for HTML. XML and HTML were designed with different goals:
XML was designed to describe data and to focus on what data is.
HTML was designed to display data and to focus on how data looks.
HTML is about displaying information, XML is about describing information.
- XHTML
XHTML stands for eXtensible HyperText Markup Language, a W3C standard. XHTML is aimed to replace HTML. While almost identical to HTML 4.01, XHTML is a stricter and cleaner version of HTML. XHTML is HTML defined as an XML application.
All formatting during a transformation is provided under the control of an Extensible Stylesheet (XSLT). Specifying the appropriate XSLT enables transformation to the above formats and preparation of output files for specific user agent viewing applications, including:
- HTML
HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language and is a W3C Standard for the World Wide Web. HTML is a text file containing small markup tags. The markup tags tell the Web browser how to display the page. An HTML file must have an htm or html file extension. An HTML file can be created using a simple text editor.
- HTML Help
Microsoft HTML Help is the standard help system for the Windows platform. Authors can use HTML Help to create online help for a software application or to create content for a multimedia title or Web site. Developers can use the HTML Help API to program a host application or hook up context-sensitive help to an application.
- JavaHelp
JavaHelp software is a full-featured, platform-independent, extensible help system from Sun Microsystems that enables developers and authors to incorporate online help in applets, components, applications, operating systems, and devices. JavaHelp is a free product and the binaries for JavaHelp can be redistributed.
- Eclipse Help
Eclipse Help is the help system incorporated in the Eclipse platform that enables Eclipse plugin developers to incorporate online help in their plugins.
Many other target formats are possible, these are the most popular. The basic condition for transformation to any format is that your source document is well-formed. Always, make sure that the XSL used for the transformation is the right one according to the desired output format and with the input source definition. For example, if you want to transform to HTML format using a DocBook html stylesheet, your source xml document should respect the DocBook DTD.
An XSL stylesheet specifies the presentation of a class of XML documents by describing how an instance of the class is transformed into an output document by using special formatting vocabulary.
XSL consists of three parts:
- XSL Transformations (XSLT)
XSLT is a language for transforming XML documents.
- XML Path (XPath) Language
XPath is an expression language used by XSLT to access or refer parts of an XML document. (XPath is also used by the XML Linking specification).
- XSL Formatting Objects (XSL:FO)
XSL:FO is an XML vocabulary for specifying formatting semantics.
<oXygen/> supports XSLT/XPath version 1.0 using Saxon 6.5.5, Xalan, Xsltproc, MSXML (3.0, 4.0, .NET) and XSLT/XPath 2.0 by using Saxon 9.0.0.6 B, Saxon 9.0.0.6 SA and Saxon.NET.