Xponent

April 21, 2009.

XMLMax evolved from my work with large XML files and the discovery of a lack of desktop tools to perform common XML tasks without coding. There is a tremendous amount of duplicate code being generated by developers working on very similar tasks to modify, slice and dice, and otherwise manipulate large XML files. A web search for "large XML" reveals what I am referring to. Think of the time and money they(and their employers) would save if a simple desktop tool could automate some of that work.

A few of the most common XML tasks are fixing syntax errors, splitting up large XML files, and simply viewing large XML. The hierarchical nature of XML makes a treeview the logical choice for display. The current wisdom is that a treeview, by its very nature, is memory intensive and cannot be used effectively with large XML documents.

Convinced there had to be a more efficient alternative, and inspired by the naysayers, I made several attempts at working with existing treeview controls to display large XML. I employed known strategies for reducing the amount of data added to a treeview, but they all had limitations (read the article Conquering Treeviews)

I concluded that a new treeview architechture would be required so I built one from scratch. The design includes a buffering and file swapping mechanism that allows as few as just one XML node at a time in the treeview. The result is what I believe is the fastest and most efficient method possible for viewing and editing XML that meets current XML standards and expectations.

Seeing is believing, so please try XMLMax. It will save you time. And know that being a small company, your support items go straight to the top, me, and that I am committed to making XMLMax the best it can be.