Codex Systems announces release of Codex DITA editor for non-technical authors

News: Submitted by kozyniak on Fri, 2011-04-08 07:39.

TORONTO, Canada — April 5, 2011

Codex Systems today announced the release of Codex®, a new type of editor that enables anyone to author XML-based DITA content easily and affordably. With Codex non-technical authors can create and edit simple DITA topics and maps that can then be used in sophisticated XML publishing processes.

Unlike most DITA editors, which have complex interfaces and require users to manipulate a strict hierarchy of XML tags, Codex is as simple as any rich text editor. Authors can type and apply styles to text without the need for special training.

“The complexity of existing editors has limited who can realistically author DITA content,” explained Adam Kozyniak, co-founder of Codex Systems. “But with Codex, anyone can do it. Even experienced technical writers can appreciate the simplicity of Codex, which lets them focus on writing quality content instead of ‘working the tool’.”

DITA for Everyone

Making DITA authoring highly accessible means that subject matter experts can now contribute content directly to DITA publishing processes, eliminating the need for technical writers to copy and paste content from emails, wiki pages, or Microsoft® Word documents. In addition, Codex can enable organizations to leverage their existing DITA infrastructure, spreading DITA authoring and publishing far beyond the technical writing department.

But organizations without any existing DITA infrastructure have even more to gain from Codex. That’s because Codex, when combined with a DITA publishing system, represents an inexpensive and low risk solution for efficient document production. “No longer do you need a huge budget,” continued Kozyniak, “to realize the cost saving potential of DITA publishing.”

About DITA

DITA (Darwin Information Typing Architecture) is an open standard XML format that lets authors write content in small topic files and assemble those topics into larger documents. By re-using topics within multiple documents and across multiple departments, organizations can publish content much more efficiently than using traditional word processing or desktop publishing software.

Originally developed by IBM for technical publications in 2001, DITA is used within a growing number of industries for various types of documents. Most recently OASIS (Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards), the organization that now governs the DITA standard, has been exploring DITA’s applicability to pharmaceutical content, learning and training content, machine industry documentation, semiconductor documentation, enterprise business documents, and technical standards.

Codex and Adobe AIR

Codex was developed for use with Adobe® AIR®, a cross-platform runtime environment for desktop applications that are based on Web technologies like HTML, JavaScript, Adobe Flash®, and ActionScript®. Most computer systems already have Adobe AIR installed, making the requirements for Codex very modest. And being cross-platform, Adobe AIR offers the potential for Codex to run on a wide-range of operating systems and devices, although the initial release of Codex is only available for Microsoft Windows® and Mac OS X.

Pricing and Availability

Codex single-user licenses are available now for $99 US per year. A free trial version of Codex is also available. Codex runs on most Windows and Mac systems, with support for other platforms coming soon.

About Codex Systems

Founded in 2010, Codex Systems is dedicated to producing tools that help organizations realize the cost-saving potential of DITA authoring and publishing. Codex Systems is located in Toronto, Canada.

Web site: www.codex-systems.ca