• 2025

    27.0.0
    Version 27.0.0 - November 27, 2024
  • 26.1.0
    Version 26.1.0 - March 25, 2024
  • 2024

    26.0.0
    Version 26.0.0 - October 11, 2023
  • 25.1.0
    Version 25.1.0 - March 16, 2023
  • 2023

    25.0.0
    Version 25.0.0 - October 13, 2022
  • 24.1.0
    Version 24.1.0 - March 7, 2022
  • 2022

    24.0.0
    Version 24.0.0 - October 18, 2021
  • 23.1.1
    Version 23.1.1 - July 12, 2021
  • 23.1.0
    Version 23.1.0 - March 4, 2021
  • 2021

    23.0.0
    Version 23.0.0 - November 19, 2020
  • 22.1.0
    Version 22.1.0 - May 19, 2020
  • 22.0.0
    Version 22.0.0 - February 12, 2020
  • 2020

    21.1.1
    Version 21.1.1 - October 24, 2019
  • 21.1.0
    Version 21.1.0 - May 23, 2019
  • 21.0.0
    Version 21.0.0 - February 22, 2019
  • 2019

    20.1.0
    Version 20.1.0 - June 15, 2018
  • 20.0.0
    Version 20.0.0 - March 16, 2018
  • 2018

  • 19.0.0
    Version 19.1.0 - September 29, 2017
    Version 19.0.0 - April 5, 2017
  • 2017

  • 18.0.0
    Version 18.1.0 - October 18, 2016
    Version 18.0.1 - August 9, 2016
    Version 18.0.0 - April 21, 2016
    Version 18.0 - April 21, 2016
  • 18.0
    Version 18.1.0 - October 18, 2016
    Version 18.0.1 - August 9, 2016
    Version 18.0.0 - April 21, 2016
    Version 18.0 - April 21, 2016

What's New in Oxygen XML Web Author 21.0.0

February 22, 2019

Related version: 21.1.0     21.1.1    

The release of version 21 of Oxygen XML Web Author includes new features to help DITA authors work with DITA keys, more file repository integration plugins, such as Perforce Helix and Alfresco, a new Markdown editor, numerous enhancements for working with tables, as well as various other new features, new API entry points, performance improvements, and more.

DITA

Automatically Insert Key References

When you insert cross references, file references, links, or references to reused content in DITA documents, Web Author automatically inserts key references if a key is available for the target of the reference.

New Action to Insert Links and Variables Defined as Keys

A new DITA Keys toolbar action was added that opens a dialog box where all the keys defined in the current DITA map are collected. You can filter the list or search for a specific key and you can insert links to topics defined with a key or insert variables defined with a key.
New Action to Insert Links and Variables Defined as Keys

Profiling Improvements

The URL parameter (dita.val.url) can be used to specify a DITAVAL filter file for resolving keys whose values depend on profiling conditions and Web Author now grays out the content that is excluded by the DITAVAL filter to make it easy to identify the profiled content. Web Author also now supports custom profiling attributes defined in DITA specializations.

DITA 1.3 Key Scopes

Support was added to provide the ability to use DITA 1.3 key scopes. They allow you to reuse a topic in multiple places within the same DITA map, but with different content in each instance.

File Repository Integrations

Perforce Helix

Web Author now includes a plugin that provides the ability to integrate Web Author with a Perforce Helix version control system. It provides an interface for browsing the files in Perforce depots, opening the files in the editor, and submitting changes.
Perforce Helix

Connector for Alfresco, SharePoint On-Premise, or FileNet

Web Author now includes a generic CMIS connector plugin that provides the ability to integrate Web Author with various types of content management platforms (such as Alfresco, SharePoint On-Premise, or FileNet). It provides an interface for browsing files, opening the files in the editor, and submitting changes.
Connector for Alfresco, SharePoint On-Premise, or FileNet

Markdown Support for Git Integrations

Markdown Editor

When you open or create a Markdown file, Web Author detects that type of document and the editor becomes a simple Markdown editor with syntax highlighting and it supports basic Markdown rules. This support is currently available when Web Author is integrated with a Git repository, IBM Content Navigator, and WebDAV. For more information, see Other Supported Document Types.

Markdown Templates

Web Author now includes a new document template for creating Markdown documents. It is a very simple template with just a few lines of structure already included, but it gives you the ability to quickly create a new Markdown document.

Table Support Improvements

Table Design Improvements

Numerous design improvements were implemented for working with tables. For example, it is now easy to select and move an entire row or column by using an inline widget that appears to the left of the row where the cursor is located or above its column. Various rendering issues were also resolved and improved.
Table Design Improvements

Table Modification Improvements

You now have the ability to make a rectangular selection of multiple cells within a table to perform copy/paste actions and to perform other toolbar or contextual menu actions on the selection (for example, Join or Split cells).

Table Properties Dialog Box for DITA

When working with tables in DITA documents, a Tables Properties action is now available in the contextual menu. It can be used to modify numerous properties for an existing table (for example, horizontal alignment, separators, or frame properties). You can also modify properties for specific rows, columns, or cells.
Table Properties Dialog Box for DITA

Character Picker Plugin

Other Languages Supported

The web-author-charpicker-plugin now supports other languages other than the default. Searching for characters By Name can be done for another language if a properties file is added for that language (for example, fr_unicodechars.properties) in the lib folder. Also, the categories and subcategories shown in the By Category or Hex Code tab can be translated by editing the translation_categories.xml file from the i18n folder.

Remove Categories

An option was added in the plugin that gives you the ability to remove categories in the By Category or Hex Code tab.

Other

URL Parameter to Specify Spell Check Language

A new URL parameter (spell.check.language) was added to provide the ability to specify the default language that the spell checker will use for the particular document.

Performance Improvements

Some important performance improvements were made for DTD-based documents.

Content Completion in Text Mode

When editing documents in Text mode, you now have access to basic content completion functionality as long as the document has an associated DTD schema.

Use Additional Languages for the Spell Checker

A plugin is now available on GitHub (Web Author LanguageTool Plugin) that provides the ability to use additional languages for the spell checker. The supported languages are: Italian, Dutch, Spanish, Japanese, and simplified Chinese.

API

API: Return an Extended Selection

The previously existing API sync.api.Selection.prototype.extendTo was deprecated and replaced with sync.api.Selection.prototype.extendedTo. It returns an extended selection.

API: Integrate a Custom Spell Checker

A new API was added (WebappSpellCheck.setSpellcheckingEngine(String lang, SpellcheckingEngine checker)) that can be used to integrate a custom spell checker (for example, to use a custom spell checker for another language).