What's New in Oxygen XML Developer 26.0
October 11, 2023
Related version: 26.1
Oxygen XML Developer version 26 introduces the exciting new Oxygen AI Positron Assistant, an add-on that provides a powerful tool to help users increase their productivity.
The built-in Saxon processor used for XSLT and XQuery transformations and debugging was updated to version 12.3, which adds more extension functions and instructions in the Saxon namespace, as well as experimental implementations for version 4.0 extensions. More features and actions were added to the JSON Schema Design mode and the emerging YAML editing support was bolstered even further, making it easier than ever to create, edit, and manage YAML files.
Some of our popular add-ons were updated such as Git Client, Batch Documents Converter, and OpenAPI Documentation Generator. As always, this release also provides various important component updates, bug fixes, and security enhancements.
There are changes in:
Oxygen AI Positron Assistant
Unlock the Potential of AI with the Oxygen AI Positron Assistant add-on
Oxygen now offers the Oxygen AI
Positron Assistant add-on, a powerful tool designed to enhance the
productivity of writers by providing support for using AI-generated content with the
Oxygen AI Positron service. Once the AI Positron Assistant add-on is
installed, you gain access to two invaluable side views: the AI Positron
Assistant and the AI Positron Chat. The AI Positron
Assistant side-view offers a comprehensive interface for all AI actions and
options, empowering you to leverage the full capabilities of AI technology. Meanwhile, the
AI Positron Chat side-view presents real-time progress updates and
results after triggering an action.
AI Chat View
The AI Positron Chat allows you to conveniently track the
progress and view the results of triggered actions, along with the responses received from
the AI platform. With actions available to insert the response within the
document, preview the response insertion, or copy the
response to the clipboard, you have complete control over the AI-generated content before
it is incorporated into your document. Additionally, you can further refine the responses
by sending messages directly to the AI Positron platform. It also supports
storing favorite prompts and utilizing variables that expand to the selected content or
the entire document, you can edit previously sent prompts, and a History
drop-down allows you to revisit previous conversations and continue where you left
off.
Validation Fixes
When validation problems are displayed in Oxygen's Results
pane, you can right-click on a problem and use the AI Positron Fix action
to request assistance from the Oxygen AI Positron platform to resolve the issue. It will
propose content in the AI Positron Chat view that can be used to solve
the problem.
AI Positron Preferences
The Oxygen AI Positron Assistant preferences page
(Options > Preferences > Plugins)
provides options for configuring custom actions and defining a context used in each action
and chat request. This ensures that the AI-generated content is more relevant and aligned
with your requirements, enhancing the overall quality of the responses. Additionally, the
preferences page includes an option to cache identical requests. This feature works by
sending fewer requests to the AI server, resulting in a faster and more efficient
process.
Change Default Model
The Oxygen AI Positron Assistant preferences page has an
option for changing the default model (GPT 3.5 or GPT 4) to use for the chat view and for
actions that do not explicitly specify a model.
Custom AI Actions
In the Oxygen AI Positron Assistant preferences page, you can
define a reference to a folder that contains custom actions, which can be easily created
using Oxygen's new file wizard. The benefit of this feature is that it provides you with a
seamless way to create, organize, and manage your custom actions to effectively leverage
the power of AI technology within Oxygen.
Custom Schematron Rules
The add-on contributes two XPath extension functions
[
ai:transform-content(instruction, content) and
ai:verify-content(instruction, content)] that can be used from custom
Schematron schemas or XML Refactoring actions to rephrase content or to perform validation
checks on existing content.Record Examples for a Set of Instructions
This newest version introduces a valuable feature in the Oxygen AI Positron
Assistant. Located in the top left corner, you will find the Record
button that enables you to provide a set of instructions and record a collection of
examples directly in the editing area to assist the AI in better understanding the given
instructions. This allows you to save the final result in two useful ways: as a
favorite prompt in the AI Positron Chat side-view that you can easily
access and reuse it in future interactions with the AI Positron Assistant; or as an AI
Positron action for you to streamline repetitive tasks and automate
certain actions.
JSON
Dedicated Outline View Added for JSON Diagram Editor
A dedicated Outline view was added for the JSON Diagram
editor. It presents all of the properties, pattern properties, and definitions found in
the document, making it easy to navigate to a specific item within the document. You can
also drag items from the Outline view and drop them into an appropriate location in the
diagram editor, an intuitive feature that simplifies the process of structuring and
reordering your JSON data. For more details, see User Guide: JSON
Outline View.
Improved Property Renaming in JSON Diagram Editor
When renaming a property in the JSON Diagram mode, the
required property field is automatically updated by either modifying
the property accordingly or deleting it from the array. This feature is particularly
useful for keeping the validity of the JSON schema when a property is renamed or removed,
saving you time and effort by eliminating the need to manually update the schema and
preventing any inconsistencies or errors.Oxygen Can Learn Document Structure When JSON Schema is not Detected
If no JSON schema is associated with a JSON document, Oxygen can learn the
document structure by parsing the document internally to provide an initialization source
for content completion and validation. To facilitate this process, a pair of actions
(Learn Structure and Save Structure) are available in
the Document > JSON Document menu that can be used to
create a new JSON schema document from the learned structure of the current JSON document.
For more details, see Learn Document Structure When JSON Schema is not Detected.
YAML
Full Support for Creating, Editing, and Validating YAML Documents
With Oxygen's specialized YAML editor, you can streamline your YAML editing
process, making it easier to create, edit, and manage YAML files. Boost your productivity
and accuracy with the extensive range of features designed specifically for YAML editing.
For more details, see User Guide: Editing YAML Documents.
Configuration Wizard Page Added for Creating New YAML Documents
When using the new document wizard to create a new YAML document, a
Customize option is now available. This feature allows you to configure
the generation of new YAML documents based on a specified JSON schema, ensuring
consistency and adherence to predefined rules.
Go to Definition Action Added for YAML Documents
The Go to Definition action was added in the contextual menu
when editing YAML documents. It allows for easy navigation to the definition of the
current key, provided that a JSON schema is associated with the YAML document and that
schema contains a definition for the key.
Open Associated Schema in YAML
New action available for YAML documents to open the associated schema. With
this new action, you can easily open the associated schema for your YAML document,
providing a seamless way to validate and enhance your work.
Enhanced Visibility for the Space Character in the YAML Text Editor
Space characters are now more visible and distinguishable with the addition of
vertical lines to help preserve proper indentation. This enhancement aims to improve the
overall readability and editing experience of your YAML files. With the latest update, we
have introduced a new option called Show SPACE marks for YAML. Enabled by
default, it controls whether or not the vertical lines are displayed in the editor. You
can find this option in the preferences page: Editor > Edit
Modes > Text.
XSLT / XQuery / XPath
XSLT and XQuery Transformation and Debugging Updated to Use Saxon Version 12.3
The built-in Saxon processor from Saxonica used for XSLT and XQuery
transformations and debugging was updated to version 12.3. See https://www.saxonica.com/documentation12/#!changes for details.
Content Completion Support for the New Saxon Extension Functions
Saxon added more extension functions and instructions in the Saxon namespace,
as well as experimental implementations for version 4.0 extensions. These functions are
now supported and included in the list of proposals of the content completion assistant.
Some examples include:
fn:all(), fn:all-different(),
fn:all-equal(), fn:characters(),
fn:contains-sequence(), fn:ends-with-sequence(),
fn:expanded-QName(), fn:foot(),
fn:deep-equal(), fn:parse-uri(),
fn:xdm-to-json(), and many more. For details, see https://www.saxonica.com/documentation12/index.html#!functions/saxon.Some Saxon Functions Have Been Dropped in Saxon 12.3
The
saxon:evaluate(), saxon:eval(), and
saxon:expression() extension functions have been dropped, but the same
effects (and more) can be achieved using the xsl:evaluate standard XSLT
3.0 instruction. Also, the saxon:parse-html() extension function is now
synonymous for fn:parse-html() (a new function proposed for XPath 4.0).
If you use any of these functions you will need to update your code before using Saxon
12.3.XPath 4.0 Syntax Extensions
XPath 4.0 syntax extensions are now fully supported.
Improved XPath Expressions Handling for the Extract Function Refactoring Action
When using the Extract Function action (found in the
contextual menu's Refactoring submenu) to extract XSLT functions, XPath
expressions are rebuilt based on the current context. The context is passed as a parameter
in the newly created function. This ensures that the extracted functions seamlessly
integrate into the existing code, providing a more efficient and reliable development
process.
Content Completion for New AI-based XPath Extension Functions
Two new AI functions are now available in the content completion proposals for
XSLT, XQuery, XPath, and Schematron. The
ai:transform-content(instruction,
content) function can be used to rephrase content and the
ai:verify-content(instruction, content) function can be used to perform
validation checks on the existing content. These extension functions are added by the
Oxygen AI Positron
Assistant plugin, enabling the use of AI-based processing from XPath
expressions.XML Refactoring
Default Resources Filter Pattern in XML Refactoring Actions
Some refactoring actions can be applied on specific documents, thus providing a
way to select only those documents. A new optional filesFilter attribute
can be used in the descriptor file when creating custom refactoring operations to specify a default resources filter by
using a file pattern or list of file patterns separated by a comma (e.g.
filesFilter="*.dita, *.xml" will select only the files with either
.dita or .xml extensions).File Comparison
Merge Documents with Change Tracking Highlights
A new Merge Documents with Change Tracking Highlights action
is available in the Tools menu. It can be used to merge two XML files (based on a 2-way
mode comparison). All the files involved in the process are merged by saving the visual
comparison results as a separate document with highlighted tracked changes that can later
be reviewed and accepted or rejected. For more details, see User Guide Topic: Merge Documents with Change Tracking Highlights.
Merge Directories with Change Tracking Highlights
A new Merge Directories with Change Tracking Highlights action
is available in the Tools menu. It can be used to merge two directories (based on a 2-way
mode comparison). All pairs of modified XML files involved in the process are merged by
saving the visual comparison results as documents with highlighted tracked changes that
can later be reviewed, with the option to accept or reject these changes. For more
details, see User Guide Topic: Merge Directories with Change Tracking
Highlights.
Save Comparison as New Document with Tracked Changes
The file comparison tool has a new action in the File menu
called Save Comparison as Document with Tracked Changes. This action
allows you to merge two compared documents based on the differences detected and save the
results as a specified file that includes the special change tracking marks. You can load
the resulting file in Oxygen's Author mode so you can conveniently accept or reject the
changes, ensuring accurate and efficient collaboration on your documents.
Markdown
Syntax Highlights Improved for Markdown Files With LaTeX Equations
The syntax highlights were improved for Markdown content, making it easier for
you to work with LaTeX equations within your Markdown files, allowing for more efficient
editing and seamless integration of mathematical expressions.
Add-on Updates
A variety of add-ons are available that can be used to extend the functionality
of Oxygen.
OpenAPI Documentation Generator Improvements
The following improvements were added to the OpenAPI Documentation Generator add-on:
- An option was added to transform the OpenAPI content into DITA or PDF output.
- The
exampleselement is now rendered when transforming to HTML output. - A detailed warning message is now displayed when the transformation’s target file has unsaved changes.
Git Client Improvements
Various improvements were made to the Git Client add-on:
- Large File Support (LFS) is now integrated. This means that if you have installed LFS and specified which extensions represent large or binary files that should be uploaded through LFS, they will be automatically detected and handled correctly.
- When you clone a repository, the Git Client automatically detects and opens Oxygen project files. This feature simplifies the process of working with Oxygen projects that are stored in a Git repository.
- The project detection mechanism was improved when opening a new repository in the Staging view.
- When checking out a branch, submodules in parent repositories are now checked out at the index defined in the parent repository. This ensures that the submodules reflect the actual state of the parent repository at that time.
- The integrated JGit library was upgraded to version 6.7.
- Various messages in the user interface were improved.
- Various bug fixes were implemented. For example, an issue was fixed where untracked files were not being restored from a stash.
For a complete list of updates added in the Git Client, see https://github.com/oxygenxml/oxygen-git-plugin/releases.
Batch Documents Converter Improvements
Several enhancements were made to the Batch
Documents Converter add-on, including corrections for the OpenAPI to DITA, Word
to HTML/DITA, Confluence to DITA conversions, and updates to its components.
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.Merge Files with Change Tracking Highlights
A new Merge Files with Change Tracking Highlights script is
available. It can be used to merge two XML files (based on a 2-way mode comparison) with
highlighted tracked changes that can be later reviewed and accepted or rejected. For
more details, see User
Guide Topic: Merge Files with Change Tracking Highlights Script.
Merge Directories with Change Tracking Highlights
A new Merge Directories with Change Tracking Highlights script
is available. It can be used to merge two directories (based on a 2-way mode comparison)
with highlighted tracked changes. All pairs of modified XML files involved in the process
are merged by saving the visual comparison results as documents with tracked changes
highlighted that can be later reviewed and accepted or rejected. For more details,
see User Guide Topic: Merge Directories with Change Tracking Highlights
Script.
New option for Compare Directories script
A new option has been added to the Compare Directories
script. With the inclusion of the (
-enx XPathExprToExcludeNodes) option,
users can now exclude specific nodes from the comparison using XPath expressions. For more
details, see User
Guide Topic: Compare Directories Script.XPath Expressions Supported in Generate HTML Report for Directory Comparison Tool
An XPath expression specified in the Ignore nodes by XPath
text field (in the Options > Preferences > Diff > Files Comparison
preferences page) is now taken into account if you opt to generate additional file
comparison reports.
Other
Application Now Uses Trusted Root Certificates From the Windows Certificate Store
By default, the application now uses the trusted root certificates from the
Windows certificate store to improve coverage for HTTPS certificate validation in
corporate environments. To trust a certification, the root certificate needs to be
imported into the Windows Trusted Root certificate store. After importing the certificate,
you should be able to connect without seeing certificate errors.
Component Updates
Java 17
Oxygen (desktop and Eclipse plugin) now requires a minimum version of Java
Virtual Machine 17 to run.
OpenJDK 17.0.8
Upgraded the bundled version of OpenJDK in our installation kits to provide the
latest Java Runtime Environment, now at version 17.0.8.
Apache Batik 1.17
Updated the Apache Batik toolkit to version 1.17.
Apache FOP 2.9
Updated the Apache FOP library to version 2.9.
Apache Xalan-Java 2.7.3
Updated the Apache Xalan XSLT processor to version 2.7.3.
Calabash 1.5.7-120
Updated the XProc Calabash engine to version 1.5.7-120.
DITA-OT 4.1.1
Updated the bundled DITA Open Toolkit to version 4.1.1.
Eclipse 4.29
Updated the Eclipse plugin to support version 4.29. Note that starting with
version 4.28, the Eclipse IDE requires Java 17 or higher.
EPUBCheck 5.1.0
Updated the EPUBCheck tool used to validate EPUB resources to version
5.1.0.
Jackson 2.15.0
Updated the Jackson JSON libraries to version 2.15.0.
macOS 14 (Sonoma)
Oxygen 26 has been fully tested on macOS 14 (Sonoma) and it is now officially
supported.
Oxygen License Server Supports Windows Server 2022
The Oxygen License Server now supports Windows Server
2022.
Oxygen License Server Bundles Eclipse Adoptium Temurin 17
The Oxygen License Server installers now bundle Eclipse
Adoptium Temurin 17
SnakeYAML 2.2
Updated the SnakeYAML library to version 2.2.
TEI Schemas 4.6.0
Updated the bundled TEI schemas to version 4.6.0.
TEI Stylesheets 7.55.0
Updated the bundled TEI XSLT stylesheets to version 7.55.0.
Berkeley DB XML Support Removed
The previously deprecated support for the Berkeley DB XML
database connection has now been removed.
Deprecated Support for DocBook WebHelp Classic
The DocBook WebHelp Classic transformation scenario has been
marked as deprecated and may be removed in a future major version.
API
Open Preview Changes in Files Dialog
A new API method (
openPreviewDialog) was added in the ro.sync.exml.workspace.api.standalone.DiffAndMergeTools API.
It can be used to display a dialog box that shows a preview of the changes between the
original and modified versions of the resources.Merge Changes between Two Files
A new API method (
openMergeApplication) was added in the ro.sync.exml.workspace.api.standalone.DiffAndMergeTools API.
It can be used to display a dialog box that shows differences between two files and you
can save changes.Display Warning Message
A new API method (
showWarningDialog) was added in the ro.sync.exml.workspace.api.WorkspaceUtilities API. It can be
used to display a warning message dialog box.