JUMBO2.0alpha

[Peter Murray-Rust]

JUMBO2.0 is a Java-based freeware SAX-compliant XML browser/editor
prototyping tool which tracks the emerging XML specs. It is a complete
rewrite of JUMBO1 and has new functionality, especially for editing and
exploration. It misses some of the JUMBO1.0 early adoptions such as
namespaces, XSL, XML-DTDs, XML-LINK, Xpointer etc. which will be
implemented as soon as the current drafts firm up. No further work on
JUMBO1.0 is planned. (For masochists I am happy to make JUMBO1.0 source
available).

JUMBO2.0 uses the SwingSet (JFC) 1.0.1, with SAX, and your parser(s) of
choice. At present I have tested AElfred1.2, XP, Lark+DavidM's driver, DXP.
(DXP is not yet SAX1.0-compliant and I haven't any news). I have not tested
XML4J or MSXML.

JUMBO2.0alpha is an alpha release distributed with jumbo.jar, jumbo.*.java,
sax.jar, aelfred.jar. You will need to install com.java.sun.swing.jar (and
JDK1.1.5 or later). 

As an application JUMBO2.0 runs many times faster than JUMBO1.0 and can
read+display macbeth.xml or rec.xml in a few seconds. JUMBO2.0 is also
written as an applet but its performance under NS4.0.5 (W95) was
unacceptable (much slower than JUMBO1.0 as an applet) and the menus don't
work. This may be my fault - I didn't spend very long. I haven't set high
priority as an applet - but if anyone out there would like to have a tweak
I'd be delighted :-)

JUMBO2.0 has only been tested on java+W95. I anticipate that there may be
problems with filenames both with jview and also with UNIXes. Feedback is
vital, please :-) I have no experience of Swing on other machines but I'm
hopeful (after all JUMBO1.0 was fairly portable and it used AWT 1.02).

JUMBO2.0 is offered as a collaborative core for Java-XML based projects. It
would be wonderful if it developed in the same way as Linux/tcl/LaTeX where
the community add components. Its prime objective is not performance but
adherence to specs, understanding XML, teaching/training/learning (A CDROM
will be announced shortly), and especially the development of information
components in technical subjects (math/chem/medicine, etc.). The next
developments are likely to be re-used from JUMBO1.0 and will be:
	- Xpointer
	- Xlink (including a limited extended/locator)
	- Namespaces
	- XSD-based authoring and rendering


Oh - I nearly forgot; JUMBO2 lives at:
	http://ala.vsms.nottingham.ac.uk/vsms/java/jumbo/jumbo2/jumbo2.zip

Should be 213055 bytes. I know some people have found this site slow. I
expect that the GNA (www.gnacademy.org) - I've copied them in -  will
mirror it shortly. The file contains all source, javadoc for classes.
jumbo.jar and some rather sketchy installation instructions. I have
recently managed to tweak JUMBO so it edits nodes, attributes and content
but that isn't yet written up. There is a jumbohelp.xml which displays on
the menu [if you are in the right directory :-)] If you are an XML and Java
novice, please be patient until the full release comes out - this is
primarily to see if it installs and runs on a variety of platforms.

	P.




Peter Murray-Rust, Director Virtual School of Molecular Sciences, domestic
net connection
VSMS http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/vsms, Virtual Hyperglossary
http://www.venus.co.uk/vhg

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