XML & XML-Director – Efficient XML Solutions for Demanding Workflows

What is XML and why is it important?

XML (Extensible Markup Language) is the industry standard for structured data storage, exchange, and publishing. XML separates content from layout, is open, extensible, and machine-readable – ideal for complex documents, technical documentation, publishing, data integration, and multi-channel output.

Open & standardized: XML is a W3C standard, platform-independent, and future-proof.
Structure & flexibility: Arbitrary structures, custom tags, metadata, multilingual, Unicode.
Separation of content & presentation: Easy reuse via XSLT, CSS, transformations.
Automation & integration: Ideal for interfaces, data migration, validation, workflows.
Multi-channel publishing: Capture once, publish everywhere: web, PDF, EPUB, apps, print.

Challenges in XML Management

XML projects are demanding: they require flexible workflows, powerful conversions (e.g., DOCX→XML), validation, versioning, access control, integration with third-party systems, and a user-friendly interface. Many solutions are too complex, inflexible, or lead to vendor lock-in.

Our Solution: XML-Director

XML-Director is our open, modular platform for managing, processing, and publishing XML content – developed from 20 years of project experience.

DOCX→XML→DOCX: Seamless conversion of Word documents to XML (DocBook, DITA, custom schemas) and back. Support for styles, metadata, validation, and roundtripping.
XML workflows: Upload, conversion, quality control, publication, and distribution – all via a unified web interface. Workflows per document or collection, fine-grained access control.
PDF generation: High-quality, CI-compliant PDF creation from XML – with CSS layout, PDF/A, barcodes, SVG, MathML, multilingual, footnotes, metadata, and more. Integration of PDFreactor, PrinceXML, Antennahouse, Speedata.
Plone integration: Use the secure enterprise CMS Plone as the interface, workflow engine, and access control. Store metadata in Plone, XML, or hybrid.
XML databases & cloud: Support for eXist-db, BaseX, Owncloud, Alfresco, Dropbox, Amazon S3, local filesystems. Unified management of XML, assets, images, PDFs.
Openness & extensibility: Open-source architecture, integration of external systems, REST API, no dependency on proprietary tools.
DITA & DocBook: Support for DITA and DocBook workflows, integration of C-REX, DITA Open Toolkit, XMLMind DITA Editor.
Web-to-Print: Direct editing of layouts in the browser (e.g., with Nimbudocs), HTML+CSS templates, WYSIWYG editing.
Validation & transformation: Support for Schematron, RelaxNG, XML Schema, DTD, XSLT1/3, Python, multi-step pipelines.
Versioning & archiving: Traceable history, audit-proof storage, flexible archiving.

Typical Use Cases

Technical documentation & manuals
Scientific literature, manuals, research
Guidelines, SOPs, quality management
Multi-channel publishing (web, PDF, EPUB, apps)
Web-to-print, brochures, flyers
Integration with third-party systems (ERP, PIM, cloud)

Why ZOPYX & Andreas Jung?

ZOPYX and Andreas Jung stand for 20 years of experience in XML, publishing, content management, and workflow automation. We offer:

Individual consulting, architecture, and implementation
Open-source solutions without vendor lock-in
Integration with existing systems
Long-term support, training, and maintenance
References from science, industry, publishing, and healthcare

References & Examples

Onkopedia – Medical Guidelines Platform (DGHO)
Technical documentation for international publishers
XML workflows for government and research
Web-to-print solutions for marketing and publishing