DynaBase is a native SGML repository designed to support online publishing, document management, revision control, and collaborative authoring of native SGML documents and related non-SGML information such as proprietary word processing files, graphics, and multi-media objects used in the production of EBT's DynaText(tm) electronic books.
DynaBase stores SGML documents (any DTD) in fully-indexed form and tracks changes across different revisions of a document down to the element level of granularity. DynaBase can also incrementally assemble DynaText electronic books that highlight changes between versions to facilitate the peer review/publishing cycle. Using DynaText, authors/reviewers can search, browse, and annotate "in process" electronic books in the same form as when published and distributed online. Using the DynaText interface, authors can request DynaBase to "check out" specific objects from the repository for editing in a variety of third-party desktop publishing applications.
Integration and Architecture
DynaBase was designed to be used in conjunction with DynaText to form a tightly integrated/efficient SGML-based online publishing environment. Together, they enable sophisticated browsing, searching and peer review of in process document and enable authors to select portions of documents for editing.
DynaBase has a flexible, open architecture and a robust API that enables integration with a wide variety of authoring, conversion, and workflow management tools. DynaBase is implemented on top of a client/server architecture and a commercial object-oriented database management system (Object Design, Inc.'s ObjectStore(R)). DynaBase runs on a variety of UNIX(R) platforms (SunOS(tm) 4.x, Solaris(tm) 2.x; HPUX 9.x; IBM AIX(tm) 3.2.x; and SGI IRIX(tm) 5.x), as well as Microsoft(tm) Windows(tm) and Windows NT(tm) systems.
Differentiators
Directly supports: ISO 8879 SGML documents (any DTD); all SGML entity types (except subdoc); public and system identifiers (as specified in ISO 8879); and all ISO 8859 character sets.
Supports checkin / checkout of SGML fragments enabling multiple authors to work concurrently on a document without conflicts.
DynaBase dynamically stores SGML entities as fully indexed objects rather than text blobs, enabling search/retrieval of specific SGML objects, and efficient DynaText book pressing on demand.
Users can create, manage, reuse, and distribute information in an open, vendor-independent format and fully exploit the capabilities and flexibility of SGML for both online and print publishing.
Authors can utilize DynaText to browse, query, and view documents in their finished online WYSIWYG form and request checkout of DynaBase objects directly from the DynaText interface.
DynaText annotations can be used to capture feedback from in-house reviewers or actual field users. Using the DynaText annotation manager, authors/editors can quickly browse suggested changes and directly check out sections for editing.
DynaBase directly presses a DynaText book for additional peer review/editing or final publication.
