Select the drive and folder that contains the XML files you wish to check and validate. Use the drop-down list to select the drive, and then double-click on a folder in the folder list to select it. EasyCheXML opens with the same path as was used when it was last closed down.

To include XML files in all the subfolders within the selected folder, tick the Include subfolders checkbox.

Click the Start button to start the process. Any errors that are detected are shown in the right-hand list box. The 'Start' button changes to read 'Stop' while the files are being checked.

Click the Stop button to cancel the file checking process at any time.

Click the View button to open the current report in your default text editor.

Click the Print button to print the current report on the default printer.

Click the Help menu or press F1 to open the Help page.

Click the Close button to exit.

As well as listing errors in the list in the screen window, EasyCheXML creates a text report (log) file containing the same information each time it is used to process a folder. These report log files have the name "ECXML" followed by the date and time that the report was created, plus a final numeric identifier, in the format: ECXML-yyyymmdd-hhmmss-xxx.txt

These files are written to a folder named LogFiles, located within the folder where EasyCheXML is installed. By default this is "Program Files\Stonebroom\EasyCheXML\LogFiles". You can specify a different folder if required - see the Options section below for details.

There are several options that you can configure for EasyCheXML. These options are set in the Options dialog that opens from the Options menu in the main window:

• Default Printer allows you to select which of the printers installed on your machine will be used as the default for printing reports. EasyCheXML remembers which one was selected, and uses this each time as long as it remains available. If no printer is selected, or the default printer is not available, the first installed printer is used instead.
• Log File Path specifies where report log files will be written to. It can be changed to a different folder if required, and you must enter the path an existing folder. If the folder you specify does not exist, EasyCheXML may report an error if it is not able to create this folder.
• Parser Class String defines the class string that will be used to instantiate the parser required for the processing of the XML files. The default is MSXML.DOMDocument, which uses the default version of MSXML installed on your machine. You can specify a different version, such as MSXML2.DOMDocument or MSXML3.DOMDocument if required.
• File Types to Process lists the file extensions of the types of files that will be processed by EasyCheXML. You can add or remove file types as required. Separate each file extension in the list with a single space. To check files that do not have a file extension, add a single space and a period (full stop) to the list.
• Default Text Editor specifies the program that is used to view the report log files. The default is Windows^TM Notepad, though you can change this to use a different text editor if you prefer. If the program you specify is not in a folder that is included in your PATH settings (i.e. cannot be run just by specifying the file name), include the full path to the program file as well.
• Log Valid Files allows you to specify that the list in the main window and the report log files will contain details of files that are well-formed and valid, as well as files that are not. By default, EasyCheXML only reports files that are not well-formed or (providing a schema or DTD is attached) are not valid.

EasyCheXML can select a folder and start checking the files it contains automatically if you add the full path to that folder as a command line parameter to the shortcut or command you use to start the utility. Once processing is complete, EasyCheXML closes down. The results of the process can be viewed by opening the report log file that is created. Note that the evaluation version of EasyCheXML will still display a message and wait for user intervention in this mode. To specify the path for auto-checking in a shortcut, right-click on the shortcut in your Start menu or Desktop and select Properties. In the Shortcut page, edit the Target entry, for example:
"C:\Program Files\Stonebroom\EasyCheckXML\EasyCheckXML.exe"  c:\test\xmlfiles\

EasyCheXML uses the Microsoft^TM MSXML parser by default, and this must be installed and properly configured. It is installed with Internet Explorer 5.0 and above, and with many other operating system updates and applications. You can also obtain MSXML from the Microsoft MSDN Web site at http://msdn.microsoft.com/xml.

EasyCheXML option settings are saved in the system Registry, under the key SOFTWARE\Stonebroom\EastCheXML\ in the HKEY_LOCALMACHINE section. Be sure to back up your Registry and take extreme care if you edit these settings directly. However, this should not be necessary, as all are configurable through the Options dialog.

Document Type Definitions (DTDs) and schemas can be included within an XML document (in-line). They can also reside in separate files that are attached to XML documents. To attach a schema to an XML document so that it is validated against that schema, you can use the syntax:
<root-element  xmlns="x-schema:schema-path-and-name ">

To attach a DTD to an XML document, you can use the syntax:
<!DOCTYPE document-name  SYSTEM "dtd-path-and-name ">

For more details, see the XML and XML Schemas documentation at http://www.w3.org. Note that the XML standards supported by the version of the parser that you have installed, and which you specify using the Options dialog, may be different.

You are entitled to use only one copy of this software at any one time, though you may install it on more than one computer. You must obtain a multi-user license if you wish to use it on more than one computer concurrently.

Copying of the program files is limited to making a backup for your own use only. You are not entitled to otherwise copy, modify, or distribute any of the files supplied.

Stonebroom Limited, and their distributors and agents, accept no responsibility for any loss or damage that may arise from the use of this program or the associated files.

Stonebroom are a UK-based specialist software and consultancy house providing a range of standard and bespoke software, as well as technical authoring services. For more information, contact:

Stonebroom Limited, PO Box 64, Alfreton, Derbyshire DE55 5ZH, UK
Tel/Fax: +44 (0) 1773 86 39 40   Email: sales@stonebroom.com
http://www.stonebroom.com and http://www.stonebroom.co.uk