The award winning XML Editing solution for consistently higher-value, timely global content that creates loyal customers and efficient, compliant business processes.

XMetaL Author Enterprise 19.0 is an XML Editor that helps you get to market faster by bringing structure and automation to the process of content creation. Using XML standards such as the Darwin Information Typing Architecture (DITA), XMetaL enables authors and contributors to collaborate effectively — and to repurpose higher-value information products into the myriad of languages and formats your customers demand.

 
    • XMetaL users have the option to use S1000D customization.

      The S1000D specification is an international standard for the procurement and production of technical documentation. It is an XML-based framework designed to prepare, manage, and publish technical information for various products. Initially developed by the AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD), S1000D is widely used in defense systems, civil aviation, and other industries to ensure consistency and interoperability in technical publications.
    • XMetaL users have the option to use Gemini web service, an advanced language model developed by Google.

      XMetaL integrations with Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered web services: Gemini (from Google), ChatGPT (from Opena AI) Bing Copilot (from Microsoft), designed to deliver exceptional versatility across a broad spectrum of tasks, including:
      • Natural Language Understanding and Generation: comprehends and responds to human language with accuracy and fluency, facilitating effective communication.
      • Creative Writing: excels in generating creative text formats, including technical documentation.
      • Translation: offers highly accurate translations across multiple languages, enhancing cross-linguistic communication.
      • Summarization: It efficiently condenses lengthy texts into concise and coherent summaries, improving information accessibility.
    • This version of XMetaL Author Enterprise includes DITA Open Toolkit Releases 4.2.2.

      DITA Open Toolkit Release 4.2.2 uses map-first pre-processing for HTML5 output and includes a new local configuration file, better CLI messages with support for overrides, a new version of the Lightweight DITA plug-in with enhancements to Markdown processing, and updates for the latest DITA 2.0 draft standard.

      Updated DITA 2.0 preview: In addition to the DITA 2.0 preview support provided in DITA-OT 3.5 – 4.1, this release includes updated processing for the latest draft versions of the DITA 2.0 grammar files from OASIS (as of January 22, 2024)
    • XMetaL Author now includes XMetaL Project, a new framework for organizing and managing large-scale documentation projects.

      XMetaL Project defines the structure and relationships between different documents and resources, making it easy to access all elements, process documents in bulk, and insert cross-references.

      This tool improves efficiency and accuracy in documentation projects by streamlining content management.
    • This version of XMetaL Author enhances the customer experience by improving integration with the internal XMetaL web browser, ChatGPT, Microsoft Bing AI, Grammarly, a bookmarks manager, and the XMetaL styling assistant.

      XMetaL simplifies XML editing, allowing technical writers to focus on document semantics while abstracting the complexity of markup handling. It offers various utilities and integrations to streamline research, document creation, and editing processes. These include modeless dialogs for cross-file operations and reference insertion, AI model integrations, context-aware popup menus, and content highlighting.
    • XMetaL binaries have been updated to integrate with the latest Windows SDKs and Visual Studio tools, ensuring full compatibility with Windows 10 and 11 updates. These updates feature important security enhancements, reduced installation size and time, and the incorporation of customer feedback for improved functionality. Additionally, removing XMetaL’s dependency on a specific Java installation improves security maintenance, enhances flexibility, and streamlines the deployment process.
    • Various customer feature requests and defect fixes are addressed.

    For detailed information on new features, please check

  • These installation notes cover the following XMetaL Author Enterprise installations:

    Limited User vs. Local Admin accounts

    All installations of XMetaL Author are pre-configured to operate in an environment where end-users are assumed to have 'Limited User' account privileges. Programs running under such user accounts are normally restricted from writing to Program Files and similar folders along with writing to Windows HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT registry hives. XMetaL Author still has some features that require operating under a Local Admin user account in order to write to the Program Files folder. A prompt will appear warning the user of this restriction.

    Features requiring Local Admin privileges

    For all installations, features requiring Local Admin privileges (right-click and choose 'Run as Administrator') warn the user before proceeding or are disabled.

    Here are the features that display a warning:

    • Tools > Select Specialized DITA DTD
    • DITA Configuration: Delete RLX Files macro
    • DITA Configuration: Turn OFF Pretty-Printing macro
    • DITA Configuration: Turn ON Pretty-Printing macro
    • DITA Configuration: Save Copy as Template macro

    Regardless of account privileges, the following processes and features are disabled:

    • Drag-and-drop operations to Resource Manager Assets tab
    • Right-click menu does not show Assets tab operations
    • UI for assigning or reassigning shortcut key to an All Users macro

    Alternatively, you can use these features by running XMetaL Author in Administrator mode. Follow these steps:

    1. Right-click on the XMetaL Author shortcut and choose ‘Run as Administrator’.
    2. Provide login account info of user with administrator privileges.
    3. Run operation requiring administrator privileges.

    Note: The disabled features also require you to configure XMetaL Author for Local Admin privileges.

    Note: Regardless of being qualified as limited-user or local-administrators, users MUST chose ‘Run as Administrator’.

    Configuring XMetaL Author for Local Admin privileges

    XMetaL Author Enterprise is installed with the assumption that users have Limited User account privileges under Windows. If you need to set up DITA specializations for your end users, or if you want to enable features that are otherwise disabled for Limited Users you must set the following variable in the XMetaL Author configuration file (xmetal.ini): user_setting_mode=default Local Admin users very familiar with the product may continue to work with XMetaL Author Enterprise in this mode, however, we recommend that it only be used to accomplish tasks that cannot be done otherwise and that the default setting be restored once these tasks are accomplished. The default setting is the "per-user" mode, which is set as follows: user_setting_mode=per_user

    Read more...

  •  Register for Webinar
  •  Watch a Demo
  •  Download Whitepaper
  •  XMetaL Author Enterprise Evaluation Guide (pdf)
  •  XMetaL Author Enterprise User's Guide (pdf) or Microsoft HTML Help (chm) format
  •  XMetaL Customization Guide (pdf) or Microsoft HTML Help (chm) format
  •  XMetaL Programmer's Guide (pdf) or Microsoft HTML Help (chm) format
  •  XMetaL Technical information

Download a Free Trial

Choose a Download

 
 
 

Products
Downloads
Support