What's New in Oxygen XML Developer 25.0
October 13, 2022
Related version: 25.1
Oxygen XML Developer version 25.0 provides a platform to work with both XML and JSON resources by extending its support to other languages such as YAML, HTML, Markdown, and others, and focusing on XML source editing, schema design, and XSLT/XQuery editing and debugging.
The XSLT/XQuery support comes with new updates and improvements. The latest Saxon 11 update brings new extension functions and other features for XSLT and XQuery transformations and debugging, and validation and transformation support was added for XSLT 4.0 documents.
The JSON feature was improved by adding support for editing and validating using the latest JSON Schema version 2020-12. All the JSON tools were also updated to support the latest schema version. The visual JSON Schema diagram now comes with new search and refactoring actions.
Support was added for working with OpenAPI, AsyncAPI, and JSON-LD documents. The OpenAPI Documentation tool was redesigned to make it easier to read and understand the OpenAPI specification. The OpenAPI Tester tool was improved and comes with support to run test scenarios.
The Git Client, Batch Documents Converter, and Terminology Checker add-ons received lots of improvements, a new command-line script can be used to validate files or directories, and as usual, this release includes new API entry points, various bug fixes, and component updates.
There are changes in:
JSON
JSON Schema Version 2020-12 Support in Oxygen
Support was added for the latest JSON schema version 2020-12.
This includes:
- Validating JSON schemas version 2020-12 against the specification.
- Content completion proposals when editing JSON schemas version 2020-12.
- Validating JSON/YAML documents against a JSON schema version 2020-12.
- Converting older JSON schemas to version 2020-12.
- A specific framework that will allow you to edit JSON schema documents in Author mode.
JSON Schema in Document Type Configuration
You can now associate a JSON schema with a set of documents by defining it in
the Document Type configuration dialog box. The associated schema will
automatically be used for validation and content completion when opening a file that
matches the particular document type. This allows users to create a framework for any type
of JSON/YAML documents and automatically provide validation and content completion support
based on the associated JSON Schema.
New Version for JSON Schema Documentation Generator Tool
A new version of the JSON Schema Documentation generator tool
is available. This tool (available after installing the add-on) includes support to
generate documentation for JSON schema versions 2020-12 and 2019-09, as well as various
fixes and improvements.
JSON Instance Generator Tool Now Supports JSON Schema Version 2020-12 and 2019-09
The Generate Sample JSON Files tool now supports JSON schemas
with the versions 2020-12 and 2019-09. This means that
it now handles properties such as:
$defs, minContains,
maxContains, prefixItems,
dependentSchemas, unevaluatedItems,
unevaluatedProperties.Generate JSON Schema Tool Now Supports JSON Schema Version 2020-12
You can now generate a JSON schema version 2020-12 from a JSON
instance using the Generate JSON Schema tool.
New JSON Schema Converter Tool
A new Convert JSON Schema action is now available in the
Tools > JSON Tools menu. It provides a simple tool for converting
older versions of JSON schema documents to the latest versions (Draft 2019-09 or Draft
2020-12).
Content Completion Improved for Pattern Properties
The content completion support was improved for JSON documents based on the
JSON schema when pattern properties are used. Oxygen now determines the
definition to be used in the content completion even if the pattern
property does not match the property exactly.
Multi-Line Values Now Allowed in Author Mode
Multi-line values are now allowed and preserved when editing JSON schema
documents in the Author visual editing mode. Previously, if you edited values
that contained a new line character (
\ n) and then switched to
Author mode, the values were not preserved.JSON Schema Design
JSON Schema Version 2019-09 and 2020-12 Now Supported
Support was added for the latest JSON schema versions (Draft
2019-09 and Draft 2020-12) in Design mode. This includes
automatic detection of the version, validation, contextual menu actions were updated with
the new components, and the Palette view was updated to include the new components.
Search and Refactoring Actions Added in JSON Schema Design Mode
New search and refactoring actions were added in the contextual menu of the
JSON schema Design mode to improve the handling of JSON definition type
components. The new actions are:
- Search References - Searches all references of the selected definition in a scope determined by the schemas referenced in the file and the main schemas declared in validation scenarios.
- Search References in - Searches for all references of the selected definition in a defined scope.
- Search Occurrences in file - Searches all occurrences of the currently selected definition in the current file.
- Rename Component in - Allows you to rename the selected component name. You can preview the files being affected and these files are identified by searching the references of the selected component in the scope provided.
- Extract definition in another file - Extracts a definition to a new file. If the file does not already exist, the action will create a new file. If the file does exist, the action will find a corresponding group (or create one) and append the extracted definition.
JSON Schemas Now Support using a Reference ($ref) in Conjunction with Other Keywords
When building a JSON schema, you can now use a reference
(
$ref) in conjunction with other type-specific keywords (such as
properties or items) for stricter
validation.Containers Now Automatically Created When Dragging From Palette View to JSON Schema Design Editor
When dragging and dropping a property/definition or
pattern property from the Palette view to the JSON schema editor, if
the component does not have the corresponding group component
(properties, definitions,
patternProperties), it will automatically be created.
OpenAPI/AsyncAPI/JSON-LD
Edit and Validate OpenAPI Documents
Oxygen now offers built-in support for automatic validation, content
completion, and editing OpenAPI documents (versions 2.0, 3.0, and 3.1) in
Text or Author mode. This is based upon the OpenAPI
specification JSON schema associated with each of the three versions. New document
templates are also available for OpenAPI documents. For more details, see OpenAPI (Swagger) Document Type
(Framework).
Edit and Validate AsyncAPI Documents
Specific support for AsyncAPI documents is now provided with
the addition of a new framework. This includes support for content completion, automatic
validation, and editing AsyncAPI documents in Text or
Author mode. New document templates are also available for AsyncAPI 1.x
and AsyncAPI 2.x documents. For more details, see AsyncAPI Document Type
(Framework).
Support for JSON-LD Documents
A specialized framework was added for working with JSON-LD files. This support
includes automatic validation, new document templates, the content completion mechanism
offers valid proposals for these types of documents, and when editing these types of
documents, you have access to the various editing features and actions that are available
for normal JSON documents. For more details, see JSON-LD Document Type
(Framework).
New Version for OpenAPI Documentation Generator
The OpenAPI Documentation Generator tool can be used for
generating documentation for OpenAPI documents in HTML format, including annotations and
cross references. Various improvements were added in the new version:
- Redesign - The documentation output has a new design to make it easier to read and understand the OpenAPI specification.
- OpenAPI 3.1 Support - Support was added to generate documentation for OpenAPI 3.1 documents.
- Supports for YAML Files - The input file used for generating the documentation can be in either YAML or JSON format.
New Version for OpenAPI Tester
Various improvements were made to the OpenAPI Tester add-on:
- A new Run OpenAPI Test Scenario tool is available in the Tools > JSON Tools menu. It provides you with the capability of running a test suite for an OpenAPI document.
- Syntax highlights are now rendered in the Request body and Response area to help make the code more readable.
- Undo/redo support was added in the Request body and Response area.
New OpenAPI Test Scenario Framework
A new framework for OpenAPI test scenario files was added. This helps you to
create and edit test scenarios more easily by offering automatic validation, content
completion, and a visual editing interface in the Author visual editing
mode.
New Author Mode CSS Style to Render Markdown Syntax Highlights for OpenAPI and AsyncAPI Documents
When editing OpenAPI or AsyncAPI documents in Author mode, a new
Markdown Syntax Highlight CSS style can be selected from the
Styles drop-down menu (available on the toolbar). It makes it easier
for you to visualize descriptions with Markdown style syntax highlights.
XSLT/XQuery
XSLT Transformation and Debugging
The Saxon built-in XSLT processor used for XSLT transformations and debugging
has been updated to version 11.4. The Saxon 11 release is currently considered as the most
stable and reliable release. For the complete list of changes see https://www.saxonica.com/documentation11/#!changes.
XQuery Transformation and Debugging
Updated the Saxon XQuery processor used for XQuery transformations and
debugging to version 11.4.
New Saxon Extension Functions
Saxon added more extension functions that are now supported and included in the
list of proposals of the content completion assistant. Some examples include:
saxon:analyze-uri($string), saxon:characters($string),
saxon:EQName($string),
saxon:in-scope-namespaces($element),
saxon:array-member, saxon:function-annotations,
saxon:new-element, and many more. For details, see https://www.saxonica.com/documentation11/index.html#!functions/saxon.Dropped Saxon Functions
The
saxon:path() function has been dropped, but you can use
the standard fn:path() function instead. The undocumented and untested
functions saxon:pause-tracing() and
saxon:resume-tracing() have also been dropped.Syntax Highlights for xsl:package Improved
Syntax highlights are now rendered in text value templates when used inside the
xsl:package element.Template Priority Added in Index for XSLT Stylesheet Documentation Generator
When using the XSLT Stylesheet Documentation generator tool,
the priority of the template is now generated in the template reference from the index
(that is also sorted by priority).
XSLT 4.0 Support
Validation and transformation support was added for XSLT 4.0 documents. Also,
the content completion assistant now includes proposals for XSLT 4.0 elements, attributes,
and XPath functions.
Add-ons
A variety of add-ons are available for Oxygen that extend the functionality of
the application.
Semantic Versioning For Add-ons
The version defined for an add-on in the XML descriptor file can now have
either the usual MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH form or the semantic version form
(MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH-PRE_RELEASED_VERSION), making it easier for
developers to create add-on builds for pre-release versions.
Git Client Improvements
Some improvements were made to the Git Client add-on:
- A new Validate each file before committing option was added in the Git Client preferences page. Selecting this option enables automatic validation of each file before each commit.
- A new Validate all files from the project's "Main Files" folder before pushing option was added in the Git Client preferences page. Selecting this option enables automatic validation of the files located in the Main Files folder before the push operation processes.
- The integrated JGit library was upgraded to version 6.3, which brings support for ssh-agent forwarding.
For a complete list of updates added in the Git Client, see https://github.com/oxygenxml/oxygen-git-plugin/releases.
Batch Documents Converter Improvements
Various improvements were made to the Batch Documents Converter add-on:
- You can now convert JSON or YAML files that use and conform to the OpenAPI specification (versions 2.0, 3.0, or 3.1) to DITA documents and there is a Create DITA maps from OpenAPI documents option that can be selected to instruct the converter to split the documents into separate topics that are referenced in a DITA map.
- Word to DITA or HTML conversion improvements:
- The Word styles mapping configuration was improved by inheriting the style configuration of the custom style from the base style.
- SVG images embedded in Word documents are preserved as SVG.
- IDs that result from image and table bookmarks are now handled better to find the correct location.
- IDs generation was improved for topics and sections by using the text from headings.
- Handling of tables was improved by preserving header row information during the conversion when converting Word to DITA or HTML.
- For HTML to DITA conversions:
- Conversion of object elements from HTML was improved by adding a proper
@outputclassattribute in the DITA result. - An option was added in the conversion dialog box that allows you to decide
whether or not the
<div>elements will be ignored.
- Conversion of object elements from HTML was improved by adding a proper
- For Markdown to DITA conversions, support was added for Markdown abbreviations.
- For HTML to XHTML conversions, the formatting of
<pre>elements is prevented.
Terminology Checker Improvements
Various improvements were added to the Terminology Checker add-on:
- XPath Context - You can define simple XPath expressions for particular defined rules to match or skip specific elements.
- Part of Speech Tagging - When scanning for terminology problems, the problem is presented only if the term's part of speech matches the one specified in the defined rule (available only for the English language).
- Phases - In the terminology configuration file, you can set the phase in which incorrect terms are detected (editing/validation/always). Performance improvements were also implemented when checking files.
- Load Terms Provided by Other Add-ons - Any Oxygen add-on (plugin) can now contribute terminology files to be used by the Terminology Checker. The contributed terminology files will be loaded and used if the contributor add-on is enabled. For more details, see Terminology Files Contributed from Other Oxygen Add-ons.
Scripting
The all platforms distribution of Oxygen is bundled with a
scripts sub-folder that contains scripts for automating and running
various utilities from a command line interface. To run any of these scripts, you need to
purchase a scripting
license.New Command Line Launcher for Validating Files or Directories
It is now possible to validate files or directories from a command line
interface. You can check that your documents are valid from an integration server and you
can generate reports in several formats (text, XML, JSON, or an HTML visual format). For
more information, see the Validate Command
Line Script topic in the user guide. The scenarios and configurations
that you use to validate files from Oxygen can be used from a command line script:
- You can specify a certain schema file to validate against.
- You can validate using the schema(s) that are internally associated within files.
- You can validate using the default Oxygen validation scenarios for respective file types.
- You can specify a validation scenario name to be referenced from either a scenarios file or a project file.
Batch Convert OpenAPI Documents to DITA
The Batch Converter script now includes the option to convert
multiple documents from OpenAPI to DITA.
Other
Syntax Highlights in DocBook 'programlisting' Element Now Supported For New Content Types
Syntax highlights now appear in Docbook-based WebHelp Classic output when
publishing
<programlisting> elements that contain
JSON, XQuery, YAML,
PowerShell, DTD, or CMD
(Windows-style command script) content.Basic Editing Support and Syntax Highlights Added for PowerShell Files
Basic editing support and syntax highlights are now provided for working with
PowerShell files in Oxygen.
Folders can be Added to the Main Files Directory
Normal folders can now be added to the Main Files directory
when the Main Files Support is enabled. Previously, only logical folders
and files could be added.
Control Indentation in Code Blocks
It is now easier to add indentation in code blocks by using the
Tab or Shift+Tab keyboard shortcuts.
XPath in Files Speed Improvements
The speed for the XPath in Files mechanism was greatly
improved when running XPath over XML documents with associated DTDs, XML Schema, or Relax
NG Schemas.
Component Updates
Java 8 is No Longer Supported
Starting with Oxygen version 25.0, Java 8 is no longer
officially supported. Java 11 is now the minimum officially supported
version.
Windows 11 Support
Starting with Oxygen version 25.0, the Windows 11 operating
system is officially supported.
OpenJDK 17.0.4.1
The version of OpenJDK that is bundled with the installation kits for providing
the Java Runtime Environment was updated to version 17.0.4.1 from Eclipse Adoptium.
OpenJDK Distribution Runs on Both Intel Macs and Apple Silicon Macs
The OpenJDK distribution of Oxygen for macOS is now universal, as the same
distribution now runs on both Intel Macs and Apple Silicon Macs.
Windows ZIP Distribution Bundles 64-bit JRE
The Windows ZIP distribution of Oxygen XML Editor/Author/Developer now bundles
the 64-bit version of the OpenJDK (17+) JRE. Previously, the Java 8u202 32-bit version was
bundled.
Eclipse 4.25
Updated the Eclipse plugin to support version 4.25.
Eclipse 4.5 is Now the Minimum Required Version
The Eclipse plugin now requires a minimum of Eclipse version 4.5.
Deprecated Support for the MathFlow Integration
Support for using MathFlow when rendering and editing MathML
equations in the Author visual editing mode is officially deprecated. It will
be replaced soon by a new integration with MathType, developed by
Wiris.
DITA OT 3.7.3
The DITA Open Toolkit version that is bundled with Oxygen has been updated to
version 3.7.3.
TEI Schemas 4.4.0
Updated the bundled TEI schemas to version 4.4.0.
TEI Stylesheets 7.53.0
Updated the bundled TEI XSLT stylesheets to version 7.53.0.
Apache FOP 2.7
Updated the Apache FOP library to version 2.7.
Apache Batik 1.15
Updated the Apache Batik toolkit to version 1.15.
Calabash 1.5.1-110
Updated the Calabash engine to version 1.5.1-110.
Everit 1.14.1
Updated the JSON Schema Validator library from Everit to version
1.14.1.
Jackson 2.13.2
Updated the third-party Jackson libraries to version 2.13.2 to help prevent
vulnerability issues. Specifically, the jackson-annotations,
jackson-core, and jackson-dataformat-yaml libraries
were updated to version 2.13.2 and the jackson-databind library was
updated to version 2.13.2.2.
JSON-Java 20220320
Updated the JSON-Java (org.json) package to version 20220320.
Saxon 11.4
Updated the built-in Saxon processor that is used for XSLT and XQuery
transformations and debugging to version 11.4.
XML Resolver 4.5.0
Updated the XML Resolver component to version 4.5.0.
Saxon SQL 11.4
Updated the saxon-sql library to version 11.4.
Saxon XSLT and XQuery Transformer Add-on Updated to Version 10.8
The Saxon 10 transformer add-on was updated to version 10.8. This allows you to validate and
transform XSLT and XQuery documents with the Saxon 10.8 engine.
Xerces XPath 2.0 Processor 1.2.1
Updated the Xerces XPath 2.0 processor to version 1.2.1.
Mozilla Rhino 1.7.14
Updated the Mozilla Rhino JavaScript engine to the latest stable 1.7.14
version.
XProc Calabash 1.5.0
The XProc Calabash engine has been updated to version 1.5.0 for Saxon
11.
SnakeYAML 1.31
The SnakeYAML library was updated to version 1.31.
API
Display Syntax Highlights for Various Code Languages
A new API method (
OxygenUIComponentsFactory.createTextArea()) was added for
creating a custom Swing JTextArea-based component that can be used to
display syntax highlights for various code languages. The
OxygenUIComponentsFactory.changeContentType() method can be used to
change the syntax highlight type for a previously created text area.Validate Certain XML Resources
A new addition is represented by the
PluginWorkspace.getValidationUtilAccess() API method that can
be used to validate and return validation problems for an arbitrary list of
resources.Obtain List of Main Files
ProjectController.getMainFileResourcesIterator() is a newly
added API method that can be used to obtain the list of resources placed in the project's
Main Files folder.Author Operations to Start and Stop Transformation Scenarios
The new ExecuteCustomizableTransformationScenarioOperation and
StopCurrentTransformationScenarioOperation predefined Author operations
allow you to start a transformation scenario with a set of custom parameters or to stop a
running transformation scenario.
Access to Author Content as Char Sequence
A new API method (AuthorDocumentController.getContentCharSequence) was added to allow access to
the char sequence that contains all text nodes and marker characters from
the Author visual editing mode.
Create Editor Panes
The OxygenUIComponentsFactory.createHTMLEditorPane(String, boolean) API method was
added to allow you to create an editor pane capable of rendering HTML code that looks
similar to the panes implemented in Oxygen.