New Version Of XStandard Strengthens Its Leading Position As An XHTML 1.1 Editor
TORONTO - January 6, 2004 - Belus Technology announced today the release of a new version of "XStandard". XStandard is an ActiveX® control that is typically integrated into Web- or Windows-based content management systems where it creates a WYSIWYG editing area that allows business users to author and format rich, multilingual content without programming.
The new version of XStandard (Version 1.2) includes a spell checker, support for more CSS properties and XHTML tags, a customizable tool bar, and a choice of 6 product interface languages (English, French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese and Dutch).
XStandard already supports standard editing features including tables, lists and hyperlinks, plus advanced features such as the ability to wrap text around images. XStandard's use of Web Services (SOAP) enables drag-&-dropping of files into the editor from the desktop and, in shared environments, permits multiple users to reference common files located on remote servers. The editor's use of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) for formatting ensures the clean separation of data from presentation and generates semantically rich markup. XStandard also permits business users to apply custom tags to words, phrases, or objects such as images.
While certain of the preceding features are found in other WYSIWYG editors, XStandard is unique in being the first commercially available WYSIWYG editor that generates clean XHTML 1.1 code with no deprecated tags.
XHTML 1.1 is the latest W3C recommendation and a leading XML vocabulary. It is designed to standardize markup throughout the Web and to expose data wrapped in HTML code to opportunities for parsing, restructuring and reformatting. By taking the noise out of markup, XHTML 1.1 primes data for re-purposing by the rapidly expanding array of non-desktop devices, including accessibility applications. Using XStandard therefore reduces dependencies on "clean up" procedures that are used to sanitize code and render content accessible, but also delay the publishing cycle and can be costly.
"We moved quickly to release the new version of XStandard because of the interest the editor has attracted in the developer community since its launch in October, " said Vlad Alexander, head of development at Belus Technology. "Though XHTML 1.1 is new for many developers and Web designers, almost 20,000 have downloaded XStandard since we launched the product in early October. Knowledgeable professionals understand XHTML 1.1 is clearly the best option when it comes to implementing Web standards and ensuring data agility. The beauty of XStandard is that it makes it easy for even non-technical business users to contribute standards-compliant code as they work, and ensures the content they contribute is available for re-use by multiple systems and applications."
XStandard also has advanced accessibility features that make it a strong candidate for government and corporate use, including a unique Screen Reader Preview that brings accessibility considerations to the forefront of content management for the first time.
XStandard is available in "Lite" and "Pro" versions. The Lite version is free. Both versions of XStandard are available for downloading and test-driving at http://xstandard.com
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About BelusTechnology Inc.
BelusTechnology is a software development company headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Belus produces high-performance products and components based on forward-looking industry standards such as XML, XHTML and Web Services.
Contact
Shelagh Nerney
Belus Technology Inc.
shelagh.nerney@xstandard.com
XStandard is a registered trademark of Belus Technology. ActiveX® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation