Compare two DocBook documents and process the change

Not just a DocBook diff tool. DocBook Compare is an enterprise solution for finding and processing changes between two DocBook documents. Output differences to a number of pre-defined outputs, including our HTML side-by-side view or output to a DocBook file and process diffs within your editors to represent change however you wish, wherever you need.

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Configure to find the changes you need to know about

DocBook Compare’s algorithms allow you to compare two DocBook documents, analysing their content and structure and matching all the corresponding elements between them to accurately identify and represent changes in your documents.

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Show the difference in a way that makes sense to you

DocBook Compare’s configurability allows you to focus on changes important to you, and then represent them in DocBook markup. This representation combines your original content with the new markup making it possible to see the individual changes in your content.

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Compare your own DocBook files

If you’re wanting to try out DocBook Compare’s powerful performance, try our online demo which offers fundamental functionality; diff two of your own DocBook files and compare the changes. If you’d like to see all DocBook Compare has to offer book a one-to-one demo with a DeltaXML developer.

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Ready to integrate into your products, projects and processes

Accessed through Java APIs integrate into any enterprise workflow or content management system.

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DocBook goes in, DocBook comes out

There’s no need to change your existing DocBook publication workflows for DocBook Compare. The comparison process is tailored specifically for DocBook content producing valid DocBook output, where changes are marked using native DocBook markup. Elements are marked with the @revisionflag attribute and text changes are wrapped in elements to enable the change markup to be applied at the word level.

Text formatting intelligence

DocBook Compare handles structural markup like and semantic inline markup like , and with specific processing so that the focus is on content change without any adverse effects from formatting. The list of elements to handle is fully configurable, allowing you to add or remove elements from our predefined list or replace the whole list with your own.

Change highlighting MathML comparisons

MathML handling is built into DocBook Compare as standard. When MathML content inside your documents is compared, change highlighting is created using MathML syntax to add coloring and styling to your MathML. Three different output styles allow you to choose the one that best suits your publication.

Find the change that matters to you, ignore the diffs that don’t

Comparison results can be configured to show in any form you need, whether for automated processing or human review.

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Compare CALS and HTML tables with ease

XML tables are complex enough without having to worry about how to compare them. We process CALS and HTML tables to make sure that the results are valid against the table models while still delivering accurate comparisons.

Tracking moves within your DocBook content

When editing documents it’s commonplace to move chunks of content from one location to another. In these circumstances, it can be useful to understand that this was a move operation rather than a deletion and an addition. DocBook Compare uses element ids to identify this type of change and mark it as a move so that you have the option to style it differently if needed.

Finding change within referenced images

Understanding when externally referenced content changes is just as important as understanding text changes within a document. DocBook Compare can identify when a referenced image has changed but can also identify when a modified href actually points to the same image.

DeltaXML provided us with a straightforward way of integrating a rich document comparison feature into our SaaS platform. We spent some time researching the market and found DeltaXML was by far the best product on the market in terms of functionality and robustness.

Niels Montanana
Chief Operating Officer, Scribestar Limited

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When DocBook change is a standard

Publish redline documents

When you publish documents, like standards, that are relied on as a key part of your customers’ work it can be difficult for them to manage the transition to an updated version. Many customers, including standards bodies (international, national and industry-specific), use DeltaXML’s products to drive a redline document workflow. DocBook Compare identifies the changes between publication versions, marks them in the source XML and the resulting output feeds into the usual publication workflow where styling is added to changed content to help your customers to understand exactly what updates appear in this latest revision.

Review document updates

Reviewing document updates can be an onerous task, particularly when the documents are large. The task becomes much easier if you can see exactly what has changed since the last time the document was reviewed. DocBook Compare identifies changes between two specific revisions, allowing you to produce a version specifically for reviewers that highlights the precise changes that you want them to review. Because it operates on the source XML there is no need for change tracking and you have the flexibility to edit and review on different platforms. If your reviewer is familiar with XML editors, DocBook Compare can even generate PIs to show the changes it identified as if they were track changes in a range of popular tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is DocBook Compare?

DocBook Compare is a complete toolkit for reliable DocBook comparison. It is the most efficient and dependable way of identifying all the changes within your DocBook content.

How do I integrate or embed DocBook Compare?

DocBook Compare is optimised for integration into enterprise workflow and content management systems. All of its functionality is accessed through its Java APIs, which are fully documented and come with complete, working examples. On top of these API’s we have created plugins for popular XML authoring tools, including oXygen and FrameMaker for seamless content authoring and reviewing.

Can I ignore changes I know about?

Yes. DocBook Compare can be configured to tell you about the differences that matter to you and ignore those that don’t, including changes to attributes, the order of content, differences in whitespace and external links.

How is DocBook Compare different from other diff tools?

Rather than comparing line-by-line, DocBook Compare identifies and matches up all the elements across your DocBook content, so it has a meaningful and dependable basis for its comparisons.

This pairing process uses a combination of element names, parent names, position in the XML tree and the structure of child elements.

How are found differences represented?

DocBook Compare has been designed to make all your content changes easy to work with. It generates well-formed, valid DocBook content so the resulting output is compatible with your existing DocBook tools. Where this involves tables, a sophisticated process works out the best way of showing all the changes, while still generating a valid table.

How do I buy a DocBook Compare license?

So you’re only paying for what you need we offer a range of license models dependent on the system architecture you’re using and your current use case. Fill in our get a quote form to receive more details on your pricing options.

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