Bill Trippe gives us a mention in his article on XML Authoring For the Rest of Us in the February 2006 issue of Intelligent Enterprise.
There are lightweight XML authoring tools that install as browser plug-ins and controls. Newer companies such as Ektron and Ephox were the first to bring these tools to market, prompting established vendors including Arbortext and Blast Radius to develop thin-client tools as well.
And his closing comments are also noteworthy...
Together, these new approaches to XML authoring have expanded the options for developers and users. The choices — from browser-based controls to customized versions of Microsoft Word to highly designed XML eForms — are opening up new possibilities for the creation and use of intelligent and reusable structured content.
Creating easy interfaces for business users to create structured content is very much easier said than done. The nirvana is giving a system designer the choice of deployment models (online and desktop), rich text editing capabilities (Word or a subset) and the simplicity of a form. I see most of the vendors, including ourselves, working towards this nirvana. The key is to figure out what matters most to your business users and what requirements your data model has (e.g. do you need MathML support?) when evaluating which front-end tool/approach is appropriate for your authoring.
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