DocFlex/Javadoc 1.5.6, multi-format doclet and rapid doclet development tool

DocFlex/Javadoc

DocFlex/Javadoc is both a multi-format Javadoc Doclet and a rapid doclet development tool, which allows easy creation of professional quality Java API documentation generated by Javadoc in various output formats.

Key Features

For lots more information, see DocFlex/Javadoc homepage: http://www.filigris.com/products/docflex_javadoc/

Availability

DocFlex/Javadoc comes in two editions:
  1. The full edition called “DocFlex/Javadoc” as it is. This is commercial software, which includes all the implemented functionality.

  2. The reduced freeware edition called “DocFlex/Doclet”. It includes only the output generator and can be used as an interpretor of any custom templates. It also includes the standard template set, which allows you to instantly use it as an HTML doclet (similar to the standard one, however with some special features) plus an excellent quality RTF doclet.
Both editions are available for downloads on the page: http://www.filigris.com/downloads/

This Version

New features: For more details, see product Readme | Change Log on the downloads page: http://www.filigris.com/downloads/

What is DocFlex?

DocFlex is an innovative technology for development of high quality template-driven documentation/report generators by any kind of data obtained from various software applications via the Java APIs they provide.

Main Concepts

The whole DocFlex technology is based on four generalizations:
  1. The mapping of an entire Java API onto a virtual XML-like representation made of some elements and attributes so as to process any such a representation in a universal way using techniques borrowed from the field of XML, like XPath (or more precisely, a conceptual analogue of XPath with some extensions not present in it).

  2. The abstract formatting concept based on four layouts (flow of text, flow of paragraphs or paragraph-like objects, tables and lists), which can be rendered in most modern document formats (e.g. HTML, RTF, XSL-FO etc.)

  3. The automatic generation of hyperlinks (or their page number reference equivalents) by matching the sets of keys produced from certain natural properties of the things (entities) being documented and hyper-linked.

  4. The representation of the object controlling structure of the output generator (made on the first three principles) in the form of a plain-text template with a possibility to create and edit such templates using a graphic Template Designer, which visualizes the controlling objects (now becoming template components) in a form resembling the output they will produce.

    The following screenshot shows the class.tpl template open in the Template Designer. That template belongs to the standard template set provided with DocFlex/Javadoc, where it generates the bulk of the Java API documentation. Click to see a real-size (more expanded) screenshot:

    Template Designer with “class.tpl” template

Other Applications

In fact, DocFlex/Javadoc is not the only application of DocFlex technology. The following is a summary of other DocFlex software:

DocFlex/XML

The SDK and runtime environment for rapid development and execution of template-driven automatic documentation/report generators by any data obtained from XML files.

This is currently the most complex and advanced application of DocFlex technology. Actually, this tool can be considered a powerful alternative to XSLT. At least, it is definitely able to do what XSLT apparently not (for example, see “XSDDoc” below). We will publish a more detailed comparison “DocFlex/XML vs. XSLT” with the next DocFlex/XML release, which is coming very soon.

DocFlex/XML home page: http://www.filigris.com/products/docflex_xml/

DocFlex/XML | XSDDoc
A template set for DocFlex/XML that implements a high quality W3C XML Schema documentation generator in HTML and RTF output formats.

For more details, please see: http://www.filigris.com/products/docflex_xml/xsddoc/

DocFlex/XML | WSDLDoc
A similar template set for DocFlex/XML that will implement a high-end WSDL documentation generator.

This product is not released yet.

DocFlex/Together
A template-driven documentation generator for Borland Together (which is a UML modelling tool).

This is the earliest application of DocFlex technology and probably the most beautiful one. It works only with Together Architect 1.x, which is now obsolete. Unfortunately, since Together 2005, Borland eliminated any open APIs (for unknown reasons). Because of this, further development of DocFlex/Together was impossible.

DocFlex/Together home page:
http://www.filigris.com/products/docflex_together/

See also examples of the UML documentation generated with it:
http://www.filigris.com/products/docflex_together/examples/

The future DocFlex/UML is going to generate something like this as well.

DocFlex/UML
A template-driven UML documentation generator based on Eclipse EMF. This tool is in early development stage yet. In a sense, it will continue DocFlex/Together with the focus on integration with other UML tools that use Eclipse EMF.

Links

This original article can be found at:
http://www.filigris.com/ann/docflex_javadoc_v1.5.6/

DocFlex/Javadoc home page:
http://www.filigris.com/products/docflex_javadoc/

DocFlex/XML home page:
http://www.filigris.com/products/docflex_xml/

DocFlex/XML | XSDDoc, the XML schema documentation generator:
http://www.filigris.com/products/docflex_xml/xsddoc/

Free downloads:
http://www.filigris.com/downloads/