Altova (http://www.altova.com), creator of XMLSpy, the industry leading XML editor,  today announced the availability of Version 2011 Release 3 (2011r3) of the Altova MissionKit, its integrated suite of XML, database, and UML tools, and complete product line. Release 3 delivers important new functionality for creating digital signatures for XML documents across multiple MissionKit tools through support for XML Signature. Other important new features include native support for mapping HIPAA 5010 transactions in MapForce, a brand new PXF file format to enable truly Portable XML Forms in XMLSpy, StyleVision, and Authentic, and much more.
 
“The huge increase in the digital exchange of data has been accompanied by increasing calls from our users to add support for embedded security features such as XML digital signatures to our tool suite. By adding support for XML Signature to several of our MissionKit tools, we’ve made it easy for users to both assign and verify digital signatures associated with XML-based file types,” said Alexander Falk, President and CEO for Altova. “We are also very excited to announce a new, revolutionary file format for efficiently sharing highly interactive Authentic eForms, which can be viewed and edited in the free Authentic Community Edition. The PXF a first in the industry: a truly Portable XML Form that allows business users to easily update and share data in valid XML documents. We have plans to implement PXF here at Altova to facilitate business data exchange and look forward to hearing about solutions our customers implement with this powerful new functionality.”
 
Some of the new features available in the Altova MissionKit 2011 Release 3 include:
 
XMLSpy 2011r3 – Numerous important new features are available as part of XMLSpy 2011r3. A frequently requested feature for assigning digital signatures to XML documents via XML Signature technology has been added to the industry leading XML editor. XML Signature technology provides strong security measures for ensuring the authenticity and integrity of XML files, as well as the identity of the signing party. This new functionality allows XMLSpy users to create an XML Signature while editing a file or verify the signature(s) on a file that has been received.
 
Release 3 also adds support for the new PXF (Portable XML Form) file format. XMLSpy v2011r3 users can now open, edit, and save PXF documents in XMLSpy’s Authentic WYSIWYG XML editing view. They can also optionally output their data in HTML, RTF, PDF, and Word documents. Please see the StyleVision section below for more information on PXF.
 
New functionality is also available for working with XMLSpy’s built-in scripting environment and forms editor including: scripting support for version .NET 4.0 of the Microsoft® .NET Framework and the ability to add .NET assemblies in addition to those that ship with the product. Both of these features bring even more power and flexibility to the already robust scripting environment.
 
The latest version of XMLSpy also includes a new spell checker that provides support for more languages and language peculiarities. Available with 12 built-in languages and over 90 more languages available as a free download from the Altova Web site, the new spell checker is the same used by Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, OpenOffice, and Mac OS X.
 
MapForce 2011r3 – Version 2011 Release 3 of the MapForce data mapping tool delivers a multitude of features for working with Excel, HIPAA, and more. Support for mapping data in Excel® (versions 2007 and higher) has been enhanced, allowing users to define and process multiple ranges within a single spreadsheet to meet specific mapping requirements. This makes it easier to account for the structure of Excel files when mapping to or from other data formats such as XML, databases, flat files, EDI, XBRL, and even Web services.
 
Adding to support for numerous other EDI formats, native support has been added for working with HIPAA 5010, the latest version of the standard for electronic healthcare records. Users of legacy healthcare IT systems that do not store data files internally in a format compliant with the latest HIPAA standard can use MapForce v2011r3 to map incoming HIPAA 5010 transactions to the enterprise internal format or database. Or a MapForce mapping can be designed to generate HIPAA-compliant transactions for output from existing non-compliant data. In addition, for users mapping ANSI X12 version 5010 messages, MapForce now supports automatic generation of the 999 messages required by this latest version of the standard.
 
In Version 2011 MapForce introduced a new feature for rendering mapping output in HTML, Microsoft Word, and PDF files through integration with StyleVision and an associated SPS report design – this new functionality is now also available via command line operations.  
 
Similar to support for XML Signatures in XMLSpy, MapForce also supports XML digital signatures for XML and XBRL output files.  
 
StyleVision 2011r3 – The latest release of Altova’s visual stylesheet and report design tool introduces support for the brand new PXF file format. PXF represents a revolutionary new way to make editable XML forms truly portable. The benefit of the PXF file format is that all the components required for editing XML (or database) data in the WYSIWYG Authentic interface can be conveniently distributed in a single file. The PXF embeds the XML Schema(s), XML instance(s), SPS file(s), etc., and can even include the XSLT files generated by StyleVision that allow the a non-technical user to instantly publish his data in HTML, Word, RTF, and/or PDF – with a single click.
 
After a PXF file has been created in StyleVision, it can be transported, downloaded, copied, and saved like any other data file. Since the PXF file embeds all the components required to edit an XML file in Authentic and to generate output reports, it is the only file an Authentic user needs to get started. Once the file is open in Authentic, the end user has access to sophisticated, interactive editing functionality including entry helper windows and right-click context menus, instant data and business logic validation, dynamic layout and presentation, automatic data calculations, and much more. And, since Authentic Community Edition is available for free, PXF deployment couldn’t be more affordable. PXF simplifies the process of getting critical business data into XML – without sacrificing any of the benefits that XML brings to data integration and extensibility
 
Like XMLSpy and MapForce, support for digital signatures is now available in StyleVision v2011r3, providing IT professionals with another way to address security requirements. Developers can enable digital signatures capabilities for XML documents in Authentic forms through a variety of options.
 
Several other enhancements were also added in v2011r3, including the new spell checker described in the XMLSpy section above; full support for Internet Explorer® 9; support for .NET 4.0 in the StyleVision scripting editor; and support for adding additional .NET assemblies.
 
Authentic 2011r3 – Authentic users will benefit directly from the new PXF (Portable XML Forms) file format enabled in StyleVision 2011r3. The PXF file created in StyleVision embeds all of the necessary components to ensure content is created and saved according to the defined schema through an easy-to-use, WYSIWYG eForm. Business users simply open the PXF file in the free Authentic Community Edition and can begin entering or editing data. The PXF file also enhances multi-channel publishing via Authentic. Including the XSLT files autogenerated by StyleVision in a PXF provides the business user with the ability to instantly render HTML, RTF, Word, and/or PDF documents in Authentic Desktop for publishing XML or database data with a single click. Authentic is available in free and low-cost editions, both of which support PXF editing.
 
Authentic 2011r3 also includes support for XML digital signatures, as well as support for Internet Explorer 9, a new spell checker, and enhanced support for .NET in its scripting editor.

A complete list of all the new features added to all the tools in the Altova MissionKit 2011 Release 3 is available at: http://www.altova.com/whatsnew.html.  
 
To download a 30-day free trial of any Altova product, visit: http://www.altova.com/download-trial/.
 
Availability and Pricing
Version 2011 Release 3 of the Altova product line is available for purchase in the Altova Online Shop: https://shop.altova.com with prices starting at $59 (USD) per product. For optimum savings, customers can choose the Altova MissionKit, which includes up to eight Altova products for less than the price of two*. Altova recommends the purchase of its Support and Maintenance Package (SMP) with all software purchases. Learn more at: http://www.altova.com/support_package.html.