ArborText Unveils XML Styler Version 2; Enhanced Editor Simplifies Creation/Modification of XML Stylesheets.

ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 17, 1998--ArborText Inc., the world's leading provider of content creation and management software for Enterprise XML applications, today announced the availability of XML Styler Version 2, an enhanced stylesheet editor for the Extensible Markup Language (XML).

XML Styler Version 2 simplifies the creation and modification of stylesheets for XML documents. XML is the newly emerging markup language that addresses the shortcomings of both Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) and HyperText Markup Language (HTML) for the creation and sharing of electronic data.

XML Styler Version 2 is written in Java and based on Extensible Style Language (XSL), the specification being developed in conjunction with the XML initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium. XSL-based stylesheets separate form from content so that Web browsers can present media-independent XML information. XML Styler Version 2 offers Web content providers a graphical user interface that allows them to develop and maintain XML stylesheets without requiring a detailed understanding of XSL syntax and structure.

XML Styler Version 2 includes enhanced Wizard functionality plus brand new Wizard capabilities that guide users through the process of importing, creating and modifying XML stylesheets. In addition, Version 2 runs on any Java Virtual Machine (VM) in any environment; it has been tested against Microsoft's VM on Windows and Sun's VM on Solaris.

"XML Styler Version 2 offers a quick and easy way to create function-rich stylesheets without having to write any code," said Jim Sterken, president, CEO and founder of ArborText. "It is the type of application that will hasten XML's acceptance for much richer document applications than exist today, bringing XML into the mainstream."

ArborText, a leader in XML and XML tool development, has key personnel on the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) various XML working groups. In September 1997, ArborText, Inso and Microsoft jointly submitted the XSL specification proposal to the W3C, and in December, ArborText released ADEPT 7, XML-enabled editing software.

XML Styler Version 2 features a new Wizard for associating a style with each element. The new Wizard supports the full range of HTML styles, making it easier than ever to get started from scratch. Under the revamped Wizard for creating a new stylesheet, the user can select an XML document for which the stylesheet is intended. If the user is running Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0, XML Styler Version 2 automatically reflects stylesheet changes by updating the display of the selected document.

Based on feedback from some of the hundreds of users who have downloaded XML Styler, Version 2 also offers a host of small improvements in functionality, usability, and online documentation.

"XML Styler lets me apply style to custom markup and configure how that custom markup transforms to HTML elements," said Mike Iantosca, an advisory software engineer at IBM Research Triangle Park. "The user interface, including the Wizards, makes the whole process intuitive. Tools such as this Java-based application make XML work in the real world."

Mary Laplante, director in the Document Software Strategies Group at CAP Ventures Inc., the strategic consulting and research firm that tracks document technologies markets, commented, "XML holds the promise to deliver exciting new possibilities for sharing electronic data. We have only just begun to scratch the surface in terms of the potential new applications the language affords. Products such as XML Styler make XML a reality for today's computing environment. They are what is needed to spur development and create market acceptance."

XML Styler Version 2 is immediately available for free download from the ArborText Web site (http://www.arbortext.com/xmlstyler/). It supports Windows 95, Windows NT and Sun Solaris.

About the ADEPT Software Series

ArborText's ADEPT family of adaptable standards-based software allows users to create and maintain textual and graphic information as reusable elements independent of formatting, media, and computer software or hardware. Reusable document elements make document preparation and publication more efficient and effective in a wide variety of applications ranging from technical publications to web site management.

The ADEPT family's authoring, editing and publishing software is tightly integrated with third party document management software to enable high performance, enterprise-wide knowledge processing solutions.

About ArborText

Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, ArborText develops and supports software that makes the process of capturing and delivering knowledge more effective. Global 5,000 organizations use the company's products to author, catalog, and reuse information stored in document databases.

In production use since 1991, ArborText software is the keystone of high-volume document assembly systems at companies such as Boeing, Digital Equipment Corporation, Ford, Grolier's Encyclopedia, Lockheed Martin, National Semiconductor, and Sun Microsystems.

For more information about ArborText's products, consulting services and training programs, contact ArborText at +1 313.997.0200, send email to [e-mail], or visit the ArborText Web site located at http://www.arbortext.com. -0-

Note to Editors: ADEPT, ADEPT-Editor, ADEPT-Publisher, and ADEPT Command Language are trademarks of ArborText, Inc. All other products or service names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

CONTACT: ArborText Inc.

PG Bartlett, 313/997-0200

[e-mail]

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Phase Two Strategies

Ben Farrell, 415/772-8413

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