The document discusses Arbortext and APP for Developers. It provides an overview of the Arbortext product range including the Arbortext Publishing Engine, Styler, Editor, Import/Export, and Advanced Print Publisher Desktop and Enterprise. It also discusses the embedded APP in newer versions of Arbortext, PTC's vision of integrated content management and publishing workflows, and potential benefits and future trends.

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Arbortext and APP for Developers
Gareth Oakes, May 2011

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Arbortext Product Range
Leveraging New PTC Technology
Future & trends
topics

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about myself
Based in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Background: web developer, Unix admin, programmer,
APP/Arbortext developer, pre-sales engineer, solutions architect
Previous companies: Griffith University, Advent3B2, Allette
Systems, Arbortext, PTC
Current role: Chief Architect at GPSL
GPSL has been working with the new Arbortext and APP
technology on a number of large projects lately

4. Arbortext product range

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Arbortext Publishing Engine (E3)
Arbortext Styler (TurboStyler)
Arbortext Editor (Epic)
Arbortext Import/Export (Interchange)
Arbortext Advanced Print Publisher Desktop (3B2)
Arbortext Advanced Print Publisher Enterprise (ACS)
product range

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Arbortext Import/Export
• Desktop GUI for development of import MapTemplates
• Conversion of unstructured files to XML (import)
• MS Word doc/docx, RTF, PDF, Framemaker MIF, HTML, text files
• Publish (export) XML/SGML to RTF
• Server version available inside Arbortext Publishing Engine
• Based on CambridgeDocs xDoc technology
Arbortext products

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Arbortext Advanced Print Publisher Desktop
• APP Desktop (APP-D)
• Still the same as 3B2 
• Active development, lots of cool new features
Arbortext Advanced Print Publisher Enterprise
• APP Enterprise (APP-E)
• Still the same as ACS 
• No new features, but is still under maintenance
• To be subsumed into Arbortext Publishing Engine?
APP products

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Arbortext Editor
• XML/SGML editor GUI
• No publishing features
Arbortext Styler
• Arbortext Editor plus extras:
• GUI for development of publishing stylesheets
• Publishing features: Web, HTML Help,
PostScript/PDF
Arbortext Publishing Engine
• Server based composition
Arbortext products
Now
with
APP!*
* Arbortext 5.4 and later

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About the embedded APP in Arbortext:
• Ships as a DLL (lib3b2core.dll)
• Has its own “app” folder in the Arbortext installation
• Does not have an interactive interface
• Arbortext Styler (and PE Interactive) do have an APP preview
window
• Theoretically works identically to APP Desktop
• In practice your templates will need some tweaks to work within
an Arbortext environment
• Arbortext will allow APP to process either a 3F template or a
Styler stylesheet
embedded APP

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Overview of Arbortext Editor and Styler
Demo of APP composition via Arbortext Styler
Demo of APP Preview window in Arbortext Styler
demonstration

11. Leveraging new PTC technology

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PTC’s vision for Arbortext is:
“Dynamic Information Delivery Software”
What does this mean for publishers?
• Integrated workflow for structured content
• Authoring → Content Management → Publishing
• Delivery via web, print, mobile, etc.
APP is now a core part of the Arbortext product range

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There are now more software options available for APP…
Arbortext Publishing Engine
• Existing capabilities: web services, Java APIs, web publishing,
print publishing, import/export (Word, PDF, RTF, MIF, etc.)
• Now embeds an APP server version
Arbortext Styler
• Existing capabilities: XML/SGML editing GUI, desktop
publishing to web/print, fully scriptable
• Now embeds an APP server version
what are the real benefits?

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In addition to Editor, Styler, Publishing Engine and
Import/Export, there are other useful PTC products that can be
readily integrated into a workflow:
• Arbortext Content Manager
• Arbortext IsoDraw
• Arbortext Digital Media Publisher
• Arbortext Dynamic Link Manager
• Windchill ProjectLink etc.
what are the real benefits?

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1. Arbortext Editor as an XML/SGML authoring GUI that
integrates with PE for preview/composition via APP
2. Arbortext Styler as an XML/SGML authoring tool that can
also publish on the desktop via the embedded APP
3. Arbortext Publishing Engine for high throughput of APP
publishing tasks, or to service composition/preview requests
from a group of authors or reviewers
4. APP Desktop only required for manual updates to 3D files
four software ideas

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Continued positive investment in publishing technology,
particularly APP as it is the print engine of choice
Flexibility of software is being retained
Great new APP features in support of
Arbortext objectives:
• Javascript/FOM*
• Embedding PDF in APP documents (v11)
• Printing EPS without Distiller
• Block model
• Context control stream
• Strip space control stream
• etc.
any other benefits?
* can be mixed with APP/Perl

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PTC Javascript template example
New Javascript template concept, linked tag/style definitions
Ideas for Javascript IDE
demonstration

18. Future & trends

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Two paths: embedded and interactive
Embedded (Desktop and Server)
• Publishing component of Arbortext
• Interactive preview window, but not a fully fledged APP
• Integrate tightly with Styler for GUI stylesheets
Interactive (Desktop)
• IDE (Integrated Development Environment) for templates
• Javascript for faster development, easier maintenance
• Increasingly sophisticated toolbox for publishing
• Simplified mechanism for deploying to an embedded solution
where is APP heading?

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Products:
• Deeper integration between Content Manager, Editor and PE
• Tighter integration of APP, and improved stylesheet GUI
• Improved “dynamic illustrations” support via IsoDraw and
Project Galaxy initiative for end-to-end 3D models
• Wider range of “out of the box” solutions, eg. SMA
• Enhanced DITA support
• Windows platforms only
Solutions:
• PTC focus on discrete manufacturing, defence and aerospace
• Other (non-manufacturing) solutions via channel partners
where is Arbortext heading?

21. Thanks!

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Simplified URL bookmark creation (no more tpmkset):
<?"mk1",13,"","*http://www.ptc.com">
Can use graphic in place of either raster or object
Table/Cell guides (no more <?tbcrules +(0.01,"red","br[tl]")>)
Panning and zooming tools wzmx/wpan
Absolute maths units <?tptxabs=1>, no more “truemm”
More advanced index controls, including on-the-fly indexes
Suppress text via <?tignchar=1>…<?tignchar=0>
Print EPS via direct PDF driver (without Acrobat Distiller)
Strip space control stream to collapse XML whitespace
tips for v10