I setup a project for the ee-xml source editor at xp-dev.com.
Release date: 01/08/2009
ee-xml will benefit 5 years of expertise in designing XML driven development solutions and will eventually replace Antegram for Java and Antegram for Web. Compared to Antegram, ee-xml will benefit direct support for arbitrary XML data, implicit XML subset definition and enforcement and per-element user actions and constructors.
To track this project, get yourself an account with xp-dev and request read permission by replying to this post, quoting your user name.
Why another XML editor
Existing XML editors target the following applications:
- WYSIWYG – (mainly) technical documentations using XML/XSLT
- UML
- Schemas
- XML data files
While existing solutions may be fairly suitable for the above tasks, we are nowhere near to the ergonomics required to edit and navigate megabytes worth of user generated data scattered across interconnected XML files quickly and efficiently. This is our part.
Essentially, ee-xml will compete with regular IDEs as a software development solution:
- ee-xml will support development using OSM – develop for Java, C++ and other object oriented idioms while benefiting the control offered by XML driven specifications without the hassle of plain text XML
- ee-xml will provide a one step solution to specifying applications while generating an underlying specification model. This programming technique works around the limitations of traditional languages and provides an attractive alternative to aspect programming (I’ll write about that) while allowing technically minded users to modify applications themselves.
- ee-xml will be cross-platform and extensible.
- Programming languages are, mostly, inextensible (I’ll explain, promise). XML isn’t. Inextensible means programming needn’t be fun, or profitable. Programming needs to change or I’ll change my job.
Contribute
To contribute, it’s OK to just reply to this post for now. At this stage, we are especially looking for project customers – if you have ideas about what an XML editor for programmers could do for you, then you are a potential contributor.
I recommend potential contributors have a look at Antegram for Web as this prefigures ee-xml and will allow your barking up the right tree.
In a couple of weeks, the project should be ready for developer contributions.
