What's New in Oxygen XML Editor 27
November 27, 2024
Related version: 27.1
Oxygen XML Editor version 27.0 is the latest major release of the comprehensive solution for content authors, developers, collaborators, and publishers. This release is packed with innovative new features and improvements for the Oxygen AI Positron Assistant, the powerful add-on that provides a productivity-enhancing tool to help writers by providing support for using AI-generated content within the various Oxygen tools.
DITA publishers have new customization possibilities, while content authors can look forward to various small improvements in both the visual editing and text editing modes.
JSON users can now transform their content using XQuery processing, customization options were added, JSON code templates were improved, and several helpful indentation features were implemented.
For XSLT and XQuery developers, the built-in Saxon processor used for transformations and debugging was updated to version 12.5, including support to handle Saxon's latest extension functions. Support was also added for XQuery 4.0 and initial templates in XSLT 4.0.
Additionally, the new Apply All Default Quick Fix Proposals tool makes it possible to apply all proposed fixes on multiple resources at once. New features and improvements were also added for YAML, HTML, Markdown, and file comparison users.
Some of our popular add-ons were updated such as the Git Client and Terminology Checker. As always, this release also provides various important component updates, API additions, bug fixes, and security enhancements.
There are changes in:
Oxygen AI Positron Assistant
The Oxygen AI Positron Assistant add-on received several version
updates (2.0, 2.1, 3.0, and 4.0) in recent months with numerous new features and
enhancements added since the Oxygen 26.1 release.
Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)
Retrieve Project Information to Provide More Context to the AI
When using the AI Positron Assistant add-on with Oxygen versions 26.1 or newer,
certain actions (New DITA Topic, Add Structured Content,
Generate Documentation Draft) now leverage the Retrieval-Augmented Generation
(RAG) process. This output optimization process enhances the AI's responses by using
information from the current project opened in the Project view to enrich the AI context
for you to receive more meaningful and project-targeted responses. 
RAG is also enabled by default for all chat sessions within the AI Positron Assistant. If you wish to configure the various RAG-specific settings, you can access the new Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) preferences page.
Oxygen Feedback-based Retrieval Augmentation
If the Oxygen Feedback product is used to provide search functionality for a
web site generated from the DITA XML project, the Feedback search system can be used to
retrieve related content of the current indexed DITA XML project. In the Feedback
administrator Installation page, the embed HTML information contains a unique token that
can be copied and pasted into the AI Positron Retrieval-Augmented Generation
(RAG) preferences page in the WebHelp Feedback token field. For more
details, see Oxygen AI
Positron Assistant - Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG).
AI Positron Fix Leverages Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)
When using the AI Positron Assistant add-on with Oxygen versions 26.1 or newer,
the AI Positron Fix action now leverages the Retrieval-Augmented Generation
(RAG) process to enhance the AI's response by using information from the current document,
leading to more relevant responses. For more information, see Oxygen AI Positron
Assistant - Validation Quick Fixes.
Function Calls
Within the definition of custom actions, you can reference existing functions
that are called by the AI engine to interact with the application. This gives actions more
context information and allows for more accurate answers to be constructed by the AI. The
current available reference values for pre-defined function calls are:
add_to_toc- Modifies a DITA map and adds a specified topic reference to it.find_similar_reusable_content- Retrieves a list of reusable DITA XML components that match keywords provided by the AI.get_content_for_document_url- Retrieves the content of a certain document.get_corresponding_dita_keyrefs- Can be used to find if there are key definitions for corresponding values.get_current_document_marked_up_content- Obtains all text with markup from the current document open in the editor.get_current_document_plain_text_content- Obtains all text without markup from the current document open in the editor.get_current_editor-file_location- Retrieves the location (absolute path/URL) of the current file that is open in the editor.get_related_content_from_project- Retrieves content from the user's local project based on given key words. It is limited to return a maximum of 50k characters and works with Oxygen version 26.1 (latest build) or newer.get_related_content_from_webhelp- Returns content from the associated Oxygen Feedback WebHelp system for which a token has been configured in the preferences page.get_related_resources_overview_from_project- Retrieves an overview of a maximum of 5 documents that each contain a URL along with the most relevant information (usually titles, key words, short descriptions).get_text_around_caret- Obtains size-limited content around the current cursor location within the document open in the editor.get_topic_context_in_toc- Returns the hierarchical structure path that references the selected topic from the DITA map that is open in the DITA Maps Manager view, providing context such as its parent, siblings, and surrounding nodes within the DITA map. This is useful for understanding the topic's location in relation to other elements in the DITA map.resolve_dita_key_or_content_reference- Resolves a DITA XML key reference, a content key reference, or a content reference to the target text.save_document(URL,content)- Saves the document at the specified path and writes content to it. If a resource already exists at the specified URL, the content of the document will be overridden with the new content.
For more information about the function calls, see Oxygen AI Positron Assistant - Function Calls.
Intelligent Agents
Intelligent Agents is a category of AI-powered actions
designed to streamline DITA XML topic management. These agents offer advanced capabilities
to save files, add references to the DITA map, and access functions for contextual
understanding and project structure modification.
Expand DITA Topic Draft
The new Expand Draft AI action enhances a draft of a DITA XML
topic by refining the content, adding consistent markup, and generating documentation
based on referenced images using Vision support. The AI searches for similar content in
topics gathered from related links or through Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). This
action is available for DITA XML documents.
Split Large DITA Topics
The Split Topic AI action splits large topics with numerous
subjects into multiple topic files. The newly created topics are also conveniently
referenced in the DITA map that is currently open in the DITA Maps Manager.
Create DITA Topics
The new Create Topics AI action generates DITA XML topics
based on user input, incorporating relevant project content. It creates a topic hierarchy,
assigns DITA document types, and proposes a DITA map location. Topics are then saved and
added upon user approval. The AI searches for similar content in topics gathered from
related links or through the Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) process.
General AI-Powered Actions
Generate Documentation Drafts
A new action called Generate Documentation Draft is available that can be used to create a draft DITA topic. To control the draft generation process, users can specify the context for the new topic, instructions, and images that will be analyzed using the vision support in a dedicated drafting configuration file that gathers all this information. Oxygen provides a customized editing experience in the visual Author editing mode for these draft configuration files so you can easily create such files just by following the instructions from the visual editor.
Update Content of a DITA Topic Based on Referenced Images
A new Update content based on images action can be used to
update the content of a DITA XML topic. This action reads the images referenced in the
topic and analyzes their content to identify any missing information from the
documentation, and suggests an update to the topic content. Furthermore, the action uses
the new GPT-4o engine to offer better results.
Proofread Action
When editing DITA XML documents, a new Proofread AI action is
now available (in the Review category) to help you identify potential
issues in your content. The AI will proceed to add comments in the content regarding
logical consistency problems, grammar or spelling mistakes, or readability and
comprehension issues.
Resolve Comments Action
Another new AI action titled Resolve Comments was added in the
Review category that enables the AI to change the selected content
based on the suggestions found within comments. It then also removes the comments, saving
you time in the cleanup process. The action becomes available when working with DITA XML
documents.
Improve Structure Action
A new Improve Structure AI action (in the
Rewrite category) can be used when working with DITA XML documents to
instruct the AI to improve the selected DITA XML content by adding additional structure or
inline elements.
Add Structured Content Action
A new Add Structured Content AI action was implemented to
replace the current selection with additional structured content generated based upon
similar content from the current project (if available). This helps the AI with context
and leads to more accurate and higher quality results.
Generate Image Alternate Text AI Action
When editing DITA XML files, the new Generate Image Alternate
Text AI action can be used to generate an alternate text for an image that is
selected in the editing area.
Reuse DITA XML Components
A new Component action in the Reuse category
asks the AI to identify the most similar existing reusable component that matches the
selected paragraph, saving you from searching for the correct reusable
component.
Reuse Product Names
The new Product Name AI action (located in the
Reuse category) searches for product names in the selected content and
replaces them with key references (
keyref) if keys are defined for the
particular product names. If keys are not defined for specific product names, those names
are wrapped in <keyword> elements instead.AI XML Refactoring Actions
The AI Positron Assistant add-on introduces a new category titled
AI in the application's XML Refactoring wizard. This
category includes three new XML refactoring actions aimed to improve the efficiency for
users working with DITA XML topics: Generate alternate text for images in DITA XML
topics, Generate missing short descriptions in DITA XML
topics, and Shorten existing short descriptions in DITA XML
topics.
Filter the List of Actions
You now have the ability to filter the list of actions to exclude those that
you do not use. An option was added in the Oxygen AI Positron Assistant
preferences page where you can specify which actions will no longer be presented in the
list of available actions.
New Action Types
New action types are now available when implementing custom user-specific
actions:
prompt-user- Prompts the user for extra details passed to the action prompt.replace-selection-based-on-image-analysis- Uses details obtained from the referenced DITA XML images when performing the action prompt.
Development AI Actions
Explain Code AI Action
The new Explain Code AI action (located in the
Development category) can be used to generate an explanation of the
code found in the current selection, at the cursor location, or in the whole document.
This action is available for XSLT, Schematron, XSD, CSS, XQuery, JSON, and JSON Schema
documents.
Chat About Code AI Action
The Chat about Code AI action (located in the
Development category) is now available and enables users to start a
conversation with the AI regarding the code found in the current selection, at the cursor
location, or in the whole document. Utilizing this feature, users can easily optimize and
rewrite code blocks with the help of the AI Positron Assistant, thus enhancing their
overall coding experience and efficiency. This action is available for XSLT, Schematron,
XSD, CSS, XQuery, JSON, and JSON Schema documents.
Document Code AI Action
The newly introduced Document Code AI action (located in the
Development category) can be used to generate the documentation for
selected content, the current node, or the entire document. The generated documentation
can then be inserted as an XML comment before the documented code. This feature is
applicable to XSLT, XSD, and Schematron documents.
Generate Code AI Action
The Generate Code AI action (located in the
Development category) allows users to generate code for various editor
types (such as XSLT, Schematron, XSD, CSS, XQuery, JSON, and JSON Schema) based on the
instruction specified in a selected text from the editor or in a comment preceding the
cursor location. It also reuses components found in the current document, making the
responses more relevant.
Suggest Refactoring for Selected Code
The new Suggest Refactoring AI action (in the
Development category) generates a suggestion for refactoring the
selected code to simplify it and make it easier to read and understand. This action is
available for XSLT and XSD documents.
Interface Improvements
AI Positron Assistant Widget
For documents that are open in the Author visual editing mode,
there is an AI Positron Assistant drop-down widget in the top-right corner of the editor.
It offers a very quick and convenient way of accessing useful AI actions to create and
improve the structure and content in the current document. The drop-down list can also be
accessed while editing by using the Ctrl - Alt - Enter (Windows) or Ctrl - Enter
(Mac) keyboard shortcuts. In this case, the drop-down list is displayed in a
floating dialog box close to the text cursor location, making the functionality even more
efficient.
In-place AI Prompt Input Field
The AI Positron Assistant drop-down widget contains a helpful
Rewrite content action that opens a floating input box close to the
text cursor location where you can provide the AI with instructions on how to rewrite the
selected content (or the current paragraph if there is no current
selection).
Regenerate Response
After you receive a response from the AI, you now have the option to ask the AI
to regenerate another answer. With OpenAI, you can also decide which engine model to
employ when regenerating the response. For more information, see Oxygen AI
Positron Assistant - Response Actions.
Preview Responses When Using AI Features in Text Mode
When using AI actions while working on your documents in the
Text mode, you now have the ability to preview the AI-generated
response before inserting the changes in the document.
Access Quick Assist Actions From Vertical Stripe Icon
Custom user-defined AI actions can now be configured to appear as Quick Assist
fixes in the editor. To access these actions, you simply click the light bulb icon located
on the vertical navigation stripe. This feature offers you convenience by providing direct
access to frequently used fixes without the need to navigate through menus, and supports
customization to better suit your workflow and preferences.
Easily Choose Between AI Models
The AI model used for each particular action or chat session can easily be
changed from the convenient drop-down list located in the toolbar of the AI
Positron Assistant view. The default model is now GPT-4o,
which is an advanced model that provides better results but is more expensive than other
models, so it is quite helpful to have a very quick and easy way of changing it for
actions that may not require advanced results.
Additionally, the chat panel now specifies which AI model was used for each response.
Current Element Highlighted When Applying an AI Action in Text Mode
When utilizing AI actions in Text mode, it is easier to
identify the element affected by an AI action. The current element, serving as the context
for the action, is highlighted for improved visibility and ease of
identification.
AI Models
GPT-4o Model
GPT-4o was added to the list of models to choose from in the
Oxygen AI Positron Assistant preferences page and it is also used as
the default model if no other is specified. It is OpenAI's most advanced multi-modal (able
to accept text or image inputs) model and it is faster and less expensive than the
GPT-4 Turbo model.
When utilizing the Oxygen AI Positron Assistant Enterprise add-on, access to the GPT-4o model is possible when connected to the OpenAI platform.
GPT-4o-mini AI Model
The GPT-4o-mini AI model was added to the list of available
models. According to the OpenAI
documentation, it is the most advanced one in the "small models category" and
also the least expensive model. You can choose to use this new model on a case-by-case
basis or you can configure the connection settings to make it the default model used for
all actions.
GPT-4 Turbo
The GPT-4 Turbo Preview model, which could be used by the AI Positron Assistant
with the cloud-based Oxygen AI Positron Service or by the Enterprise add-on when
connecting to OpenAI, was replaced with the final GPT-4 Turbo engine
release.
Vision Support
With the newly added models, vision support is now available,
which means that the AI can now read and interpret images,
thus supporting more use cases such as generating a documentation draft
by also considering the content of some images or suggesting changes to the content of a
topic based on updated images. Images can be easily added to the prompts entered in the
Chat window using a dedicated attach action. The vision support is
available for both the version that uses the Positron Service, as well as in the
Enterprise version of the add-on (if the configured engine has vision
support).
Improved Credit Usage Efficiency
The credit system has been updated to enhance cost efficiency. Now, input
tokens and output tokens are treated differently when calculating consumed credits, with
input tokens being less expensive than output tokens.
Enterprise Edition
Oxygen XML Enterprise Edition Includes Free Access to AI Positron Assistant Enterprise Add-on
An Oxygen XML Enterprise edition license for Oxygen XML Editor, Author, and
Developer products now includes access to the Oxygen AI Positron Assistant Enterprise
add-on at no extra cost. The subscription license for Oxygen AI Positron Assistant
Enterprise add-on remains available for Oxygen Professional, Academic, and Personal
edition users that want to use the AI Positron Assistant Enterprise
Add-on.
Oxygen AI Positron Assistant Enterprise Connector for Anthropic Claude
The Enterprise version of the Oxygen AI Positron Assistant add-on introduces a
new connector for Anthropic Claude, along with the existing connectors
for OpenAI and Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service, thus allowing users to connect directly to
Anthropic Claude as well.
Enhanced Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service Connector Using Microsoft Entra ID Authentication
For the Enterprise version of Oxygen AI Positron Assistant, the Microsoft Azure
OpenAI Service connector now supports authentication using Microsoft Entra ID, offering
improved security and flexibility. Environment variables can be used for various
authentication methods, including service principal and username/password
authentication.
Various AI Improvements
Selected Content Sent to AI for Context
When directly initiating a new chat with the AI (without invoking an action),
the detected document type and any content selected in the main editor area is
automatically passed as context for the conversation. This feature allows you to get
responses more tailored for that specific document.
Variables to Obtain Selection with Track Changes Accepted/Rejected
Two new variables may be used when you write prompts:
${selection-original}, which expands to the selected text with all
track changes rejected, and ${selection-final}, which expands to the
selected text with all track changes accepted. Using these variables, you can provide the
AI with both the original and modified text and ask the AI engine to analyze the change.
For instance, you can determine if the AI considers that the final version demonstrates
improved readability.
AI XPath Functions Updated to Allow Adding a Conversation History
The signatures of the AI XPath functions
ai:transform-content
and ai:verify-content were modified to allow adding a conversation
history when the functions are used. You can add multiple pairs of user-agent data that
will be passed to the AI as the history of the conversation. This can be used for more
complex actions that need to also set a context for the AI operation.Intuitive Identification of XML Content in Markdown
An AI response might contain explanations followed by the actual response
wrapped in the
```xml marker. This type of response is now detected and
the block of XML code can be inserted or previewed.Markdown Syntax Highlight in Chat Response Area
The content received from the AI engine is presented in the chat response area
either with XML syntax highlight or Markdown syntax highlight depending on the response
content.
Open Links from Chat Response Area
URL links present in the chat response area can be opened by pressing
Ctrl/Command and then mouse clicking on the link.
Security Enhancements
Information regarding favorite prompts, chat history, or AI XPath functions are
stored encrypted in the options file. The Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) preferences
page has new security-related options to enable reading and writing content in the project
or to control if the end user is prompted to allow the use of function calls for
particular actions.
DITA Publishing
Open Custom WebHelp Logo URL in a New Tab
It is now possible to control whether clicking the URL for a custom WebHelp
logo will open it in the same tab or in a new tab. By default, the link is opened in the
same tab as the WebHelp output. This can be configured using the new
webhelp.logo.image.target.url.new.tab parameter. By default, the link
is opened in the same tab as the WebHelp output.Display Certain Elements as Tabs
For WebHelp output, it is possible to display certain elements as tabs by using
the
outputclass="wh-tabbed" attribute. This works for lists
(<ol>, <ul>), definition lists
(<dl>), and choice table (<choicetable>)
elements.Open WebHelp and PDF Produced by DITA OT Project
By default, when running DITA OT Project transformations from the application,
the generated WebHelp and PDF outputs are now opened in the proper associated system
application.
Set Path to Antenna House Option Setting File
When using the Antenna House Formatter in the DITA Map
PDF - based on HTML5 & CSS transformation scenario, a new parameter
(
antenna-house.option.setting.file) makes it possible to set the path
to the Antenna House Option Setting File directly in the transformation
scenario configuration dialog box.Support for PDF Signing
It is now possible to sign your PDFs using a keystore file and the new
chemistry.sign parameters in the DITA Map PDF - based on HTML5
& CSS transformation scenario.Visual Editing
Spell Check in Text Form Controls
The text field, text area, and combo
box form controls can now be configured with a new
spell-check
CSS property to enable automatic spell checking inside them.Table Column Information Presented in Location Tooltip
When moving the cursor inside a table cell, the contextual location tooltip now
also presents the name of the column where the cell is placed. This feature is especially
useful when editing long tables.
Text Mode
Toggle Comment Action Available for Non-XML Document Types
The Toggle Comment action encloses the currently selected
content in a comment that is ignored by the parser or removes an existing comment. This
action is now available for all document types that support comments. For example,
toggling comments is now possible in RNC, SQL, Batch, Java, JavaScript, C, C++, PHP, and
PowerShell documents.
JSON
Transform JSON Documents with XQuery
An enhanced feature was added that enables you to transform JSON
documents using XQuery processing. This involves the implementation of
transformation scenarios, which can be created and linked to JSON documents. This
facilitates the smooth processing of JSON documents, streamlining the overall workflow.
See Transforming JSON Documents with XQuery for more
details.
XQuery Builder Supports Executing XQuery Over JSON Document
The XQuery Builder view that allows you to compose complex
XQuery expressions and execute them over the currently edited document now supports
running the XQuery over JSON documents.
Enhanced JSON Editing with Automatic Indentation
Our latest JSON editing features streamline your workflow by ensuring content
is consistently formatted. You can now specifically indent selected sections within JSON
documents using the Indent Selection action found in the contextual menu,
enhancing code readability without altering the entire document. Additionally, any content
added through the content completion assistant or pasted into the editor is automatically
indented, removing the need for manual formatting and saving you valuable
time.
Customizable Transparency Level for Property Names After Ending Brackets
The transparency level for the property names that are displayed after the
ending brackets in JSON documents can now be customized. There is a new option in the
Options->Preferences->Editor->Edit Modes->Text page where the
transparency level can be adjusted according to your needs.
Tooltips Provide Detailed Information About Properties
When you move your cursor over a property while editing a JSON document, a
tooltip appears with detailed documentation about that particular property, based upon
information from the associated JSON schema.
JSON Code Template Improvements
When adding content using code templates in JSON or JSON Schema documents, a
final comma is now inserted if it is required by the particular context.
JSON Schema Validator Add-On
The JSON Schema Validator add-on has been enhanced with the integration of
local meta-schema usage, advanced recursion prevention techniques, and a series of bug
fixes.
YAML
Tooltips Provide Detailed Information About Properties
When you move your cursor over a property while editing a YAML document, a
tooltip appears with detailed documentation about that particular property, based upon
information from the associated JSON schema.
HTML/XHTML
HTML Schemas Updated
The schemas that are used for validation and content completion in HTML and
XHTML documents was updated to support the latest content model for the
<hgroup> element. For example, <h1> through
<h6> and <p> child elements are now allowed
within <hgroup> elements in the updated schemas.XSLT / XQuery
XSLT and XQuery Transformation and Debugging with Saxon 12.5
The built-in Saxon processor from Saxonica, used for XSLT and XQuery
transformations and debugging, has been updated to version 12.5. This update includes
performance improvements, better error handling, and expanded support for the latest
standards. For more details, see the Saxonica
documentation.
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:duplicate-values(), fn:void(),
fn:every(), map:of-pairs(),
array:of-members(), array:split(),
map:pair(), and many more. For details, see https://www.saxonica.com/documentation12/index.html#!changes/extensions.Saxon Functions Reinstated in Saxon 12.5
The
saxon:evaluate(), saxon:eval(), and
saxon:expression() extension functions that were previously dropped in
the last version were reinstated for the benefit of XQuery users when the
exl:evaluate instruction is not available.XQuery 4.0
Support was added for XQuery 4.0. This means that you can run XQuery 4.0
transformation scenarios from the editor or from the XQuery builder view and you can edit
XQuery 4.0 documents with complete support for content completion, syntax highlights, and
more.
Initial Template Support in XSLT 4.0
The
xsl:initial-template support has been activated for XSLT
4.0. This type of template previously was supported in XSLT 3.0, and it is now also
available for XSLT 4.0 documents.Quick Fixes
Apply All Default Quick Fix Proposals
The quick fix support is now automated through the Apply all default
quick fix proposals tool, making it possible to apply all proposed quick fixes
on one or more resources at once. It applies quick fix proposals for all reported
validation errors in a specified scope. All the quick fix proposals are automatically
executed in bulk, one after the other. If multiple quick fixes are proposed for the same
validation error, only the first one is executed for that particular error.
The action that invokes the tool is available for a single document in the contextual menu in both Text and Author modes, and for one or more documents in the Tools menu or the Refactoring submenu when right-clicking one or more resources in the Project view or DITA Maps Manager. The action is also available in the Quick Fix menu for even easier access. In addition, a customized version of the tool is also available in the Results view (in the contextual menu of the table that displays the results of a single file or batch validation operation).
Collect Default Quick Fixes
The
sqf:default-fix attribute from the Schematron Quick Fix specification is now collected and used by the
Apply all default quick fix proposals action. The action will
automatically apply all default quick fixes defined the Schematron file.Markdown
Convert Embedded Latex Equations
Latex equations that are embedded in Markdown content are preserved as
<foreign> elements in the DITA preview pane and when
publishing Markdown content referenced in a DITA map. Furthermore, with the help of additional plugins, the Latex content can be rendered as an equation in the DITA
preview pane and the published content.Various Syntax Highlight Related Improvements
Some of the syntax highlight colors for Markdown were changed for better
readability. Markdown code blocks that contain XML, XSLT, XML Schema, or DTD content now
display specific syntax highlights for the particular language, making the code more
distinguishable and recognizable.
File Comparison
Ignore Nodes by XPath Option Supported in Directory Comparisons
The Ignore Nodes by XPath option, and the XPath expression
provided for this purpose, in the File Comparison preferences page are now taken into
account when comparing directories by invoking the tool. The option is also accessible via
the Directory Compare tool.
Add-ons
Oxygen offers a range of add-ons that can be utilized to expand its
functionality.
Git Client Improvements
Various improvements were made to the Git Client add-on:
- A new button was added above the commit message area to create an AI-generated commit message using the Oxygen AI Positron Assistant.
- It is now possible to sign commits using GPG keys.
- If there are unpulled changes detected when creating a new branch, a confirmation dialog box is displayed where you can choose whether or not to pull the changes before processing the branch creation.
- If you attempt to merge a branch into the current one and unpulled changes are detected on the branch being merged, a warning message will appear. This allows you to bring that branch up-to-date first (by performing a pull) and then the merge is automatically retried.
- Local branches that are linked to remote branches that no longer exist are now detected and reported.
- You can now pull changes from a remote branch other than the one being tracked.
- When performing tasks such as switching or merging branches, restarting a merge, and many others, the progress of the operation is now shown when it takes more than two seconds to complete.
- When comparing two revisions or opening the compare editor to resolve merge or rebase conflicts, the comparison tool now provides more detailed information about the commits involved.
- The JGit component was updated to version 7.0.0.
- Updated the minimum required version of Oxygen to 26.1.
- Fixed various bugs.
Oxygen Feedback Connector
The Oxygen Feedback Connector add-on can now be used with
topics opened from Content Management Systems (CMS) or other remote storage
systems.
Terminology Checker
The Terminology Checker add-on received the following updates:
- Various security/component updates were implemented.
- The end user is now allowed to avoid showing the choice to remove matched terms that did not have any proposed suggestions.
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.XPath Expressions to Exclude Nodes Now Supported in Compare Directories Script
A previous limitation was solved for the Compare Directories
command-line script making it now possible to use the
-enx
XPathExprToExcludeNodes argument. It allows you to specify an XPath expression
that will exclude certain nodes from the comparison. This option can now be used without
any limitation, regardless of the format chosen for the comparison report.More Flexibility in Compare Directories Script
More flexibility was added in the Compare Directories
command-line script in regard to the handling of certain cases as requested by users with
the addition of two new options. The
-a dirPathAlias argument can be used
to specify an alias for the directory path that will be displayed in the HTML-formatted
operation report instead of a long directory path. The -sl suppressLinks
argument can be set to true to suppress links to the compared directories
and files that are displayed in the HTML operation report.Miscellaneous
Batch Operations Performed in the Background
Various batch operations (Spell check in Files, Find
in files, Validate and check for completeness, Search
References, Project Selected Resources Validation) are now
performed in the background with the progress displayed in the status bar instead of
blocking the entire application with a modal progress dialog box while the operation is
processing.
Performance Improved for Validation Operations
The performance of validation operations on large file sets was significantly
improved. These improvements are most noticeable when invoking a validation operation
either from the Project view or from the command line via a validation
script.
Performance Improved For DocBook Editing
The performance speed was improved when editing attributes in DocBook XML
documents that contain lots of links.
Edit and Validate AsyncAPI 3.0 Documents
Editing and validation support is now provided for AsyncAPI
documents version 3.0. This includes support for content completion, automatic validation,
and editing AsyncAPI 3.0 documents in Text or Author
mode. New document templates are also available for AsyncAPI 3.x documents.
Results Ranking Improved for Open/Find Resources Feature
For DITA XML documents, the order of results displayed in the Open/Find
Resources dialog box is determined by the element context in which the searched
words are found. For example, if documents contain the particular searched words within
<title>, <keyword>,
<shortdesc>, or <uicontrol> elements, their
ranking will be higher than for documents where the particular searched words are only
found within plain paragraph text.Find and Invoke Framework Actions
Oxygen includes a Find Action feature (located in the
Find menu) that provides a quick way to find actions that are available
throughout the application. When editing in the Author visual mode, this
feature can now be used to locate and invoke custom actions that are defined within a
framework customization.
Plugin Security Improvements
If a loaded plugin delays the startup of the application for more than 15
seconds, the plugin will continue to be loaded on a thread and the startup will continue.
This helps to reduce possible hangups since the application will continue loading without
waiting for the plugin to fully initialize.
Component Updates
OpenJDK 17.0.13
The version of OpenJDK that is bundled with the installation kits for providing
the Java Runtime Environment was updated to version 17.0.13 from Eclipse Adoptium.
macOS 15 (Sequoia)
Oxygen 27.0 has been fully tested on macOS 15 (Sequoia) and it is now
officially supported.
Updated US English Spell Checking Library
Updated the bundled spell checker dictionary used for US English to contain
more recently added words.
Eclipse 4.33
The Eclipse plugin was updated to fully support Eclipse 4.33.
Apache Batik 1.18
Updated the Apache Batik library to version 1.18.
Apache FOP 2.10
Updated the Apache FOP library to version 2.10.
Apache Lucene Indexer 9.11.1
Updated the Apache Lucene Indexer libraries to version 9.11.1.
Apache HTTP Client 4.5.14
Updated the Apache HTTP Client libraries to version 4.5.14.
Apache Sanctuario 4.0.2
Updated the Apache Sanctuario libraries to version 4.0.2.
DITA-OT 4.2.3
Updated the embedded DITA-OT to version 4.2.3.
DOMPurify 2.5.6
Updated the DOMPurify library to version 2.5.6.
TEI Schemas 4.8.1
Updated the bundled TEI schemas to version 4.8.1.
TEI Stylesheets 7.57.1
Updated the bundled TEI XSLT stylesheets to version 7.57.1.
XSpec 3.1.2
Updated the XSpec framework to version 3.1.2.
Deprecated/Removed Components
FTP Support Removed
Support for the insecure File Transfer Protocol (FTP) was
removed.
Kerberos Authentication Deprecated
Support for authentication using the Kerberos protocol was deprecated and will
be removed in a future version.
DocBook to WebHelp Classic Transformation Removed
The DocBook to WebHelp Classic transformation scenario is no
longer supported and has been removed from the application.
Security
ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Certification
Syncro Soft, the company that develops the Oxygen XML suite of products, has
earned the ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification, demonstrating a strong commitment to
implementing top-tier information security practices and ensuring that the users' data is
protected to the highest standards.
New Privacy Options
The privacy section of the application installer allows disabling the support
to install all add-ons or Oxygen AI-specific add-ons. These settings can also be set when
the installer is running in unattended mode.
API Additions
Create Radio Button and Checkbox Menu Item
Two new methods were added to the
OxygenUIComponentsFactory API. The
createRadioMenuItem(Action) method can be used to create a radio button
component, while the createCheckBoxMenuItem(Action) method can be used to
create a checkbox menu item.Create Lightweight Author Preview Component
A new
StandalonePluginWorkspace.createAuthorPreviewComponentProvider() API
was added to create a simple read-only preview component based on the Author visual editor
that can be used to render XML documents visually (for example, in a side
view).Search in Project
A new
ProjectIndexer.search(String, int) API method was added
that allows searching for keywords in the current indexed project to retrieve documents
that contain the keywords.Obtain XPath for Element at Certain Location
A new
WSXMLTextEditorPage.getXPath(int, boolean) API method was
added that can be used to obtain the XPath expression for an element at a certain location
in the XML text editor.Access the Current Editor Components
A new
ro.sync.exml.workspace.api.componentscollector.IComponentsProvider.getAllComponents(URL)
method was added for obtaining the global components from the current editor. It can be
obtained from the PluginWorkspace.getComponentProvider() API.Provide Information About XSLT Components
A new
ro.sync.exml.workspace.api.componentscollector.IXSLComponentInfo
API adds two methods (getMatch and getMode) for
providing more accurate information about XSLT components.Get XML Structure as DTD
A new
XMLUtilAccess.getXMLStructureAsDTD API method was added to
get the structure of the specified XML document as a DTD.Provide Reader for Validating Resources
A new
ValidationUtilAccess.validateResources API method was added
to provide a reader for validation problems.