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Sharing a Project - Team Collaboration

You can use XML projects to make team collaboration and synergy efficient and effective. Not only can you share the project files and folders, but Oxygen XML Author also allows you to store preferences, transformation scenarios, and validation scenarios at project level in a project file (.xpr file extension). It can be saved on a version control system (such as SVN, CVS, or Source Safe) or in a shared folder, so that your team has access to the same resources stored in the project file.

Sharing Preferences (Creating a Project-Level Options File)

To share options that are configured in certain preferences pages, you can store them in a project file (.xpr file extension) that can easily be shared with others. To do so, follow these steps:
  1. [Recommended] You may want to use a fresh install for this procedure to ensure that you do not copy personal or local preferences.
  2. In the Project view, create a project or open an existing one.
  3. Open the Preferences dialog box (Options > Preferences).
  4. Configure the options in each preferences page that you want to be included in the project file and switch the storage preference to Project Options in each page.
    Note: Some pages do not have the Project Options button, since the options they host might contain sensitive data (such as passwords, for example) that is unsuitable for sharing with other users.

  5. Click OK and close the Preferences dialog box.

    All explicitly set values are now saved in the project file. You can then share the project file so that your team will have the same option configuration that you stored in the project file.
    Note: The project file extension (.xpr) must be preserved when the file is distributed to others.
    Notice: When a project is opened for the first time, a confirmation dialog box will be displayed that asks you to confirm that the project came from a trusted source. This is meant to help prevent potential security issues.

Sharing Transformation Scenarios

To share created and edited transformation scenarios, you can store them in a project file (.xpr file extension) by following these steps:
  1. In the Project view, create a project or open an existing one.
  2. When you create a new transformation scenario or edit an existing one, there is a Storage option. Switch the storage preference to Project Options in each transformation scenario you want to be included in the project file.

  3. Click OK to store the scenario in the project file.

    You can then share the project file so that your team will have access to the same transformation scenarios that you stored in the project file. When you create a scenario at the project level, the URLs from the scenario become relative to the project URL.
    Note: The project file extension (.xpr) must be preserved when the file is distributed to others.
    Notice: When a project is opened for the first time, a confirmation dialog box will be displayed that asks you to confirm that the project came from a trusted source. This is meant to help prevent potential security issues.

Sharing Validation Scenarios

To share created and edited validation scenarios, you can store them in a project file (.xpr file extension) by following these steps:
  1. In the Project view, create a project or open an existing one.
  2. When you create a new validation scenario or edit an existing one, there is a Storage option. Switch the storage preference to Project Options in each validation scenario you want to be included in the project file.

  3. Click OK to store the scenario in the project file.

    You can then share the project file so that your team will have access to the same validation scenarios that you stored in the project file. When you create a scenario at the project level, the URLs from the scenario become relative to the project URL.
    Note: The project file extension (.xpr) must be preserved when the file is distributed to others.
    Notice: When a project is opened for the first time, a confirmation dialog box will be displayed that asks you to confirm that the project came from a trusted source. This is meant to help prevent potential security issues.

Using Git for Collaboration

To assist you with team collaboration, sharing projects, and version control, an add-on is available that contributes a built-in Git client directly in Oxygen XML Author. The Git Client is developed independent of the normal Oxygen release cycle, so it is updated and improved more frequently than the main application. It is an optional tool so it needs to be installed as an add-on. Once installed, a Git Staging view is available that includes various actions that perform common Git commands, such as push, pull, change branch, commit, and more. It also includes a built-in tool for comparing and merging changes.

For more details, see Git Client Add-on.

Using Subversion (SVN) for Collaboration

Oxygen XML Author also includes an embedded SVN (Subversion) Client. Even if you start developing a new project, or you want to migrate an existing one to Subversion, the Syncro SVN Client allows you to easily share it with the rest of your team. It can be accessed from the Tools menu and can be used for synchronizing your working copy with a central repository. It can also be started by selecting the Open in SVN Client action from the contextual menu of the Project view. This action opens the Syncro SVN Client and shows the selected project file in the Working Copy view.