In the 1990s, the HTML language used on the web resulted in a greatly renewed interest in the structured document technology it was based on, known as SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language). A project began in the late 1990s at the World Wide Web Consortium to bring SGML into the web era and that was where XML – eXtensible Markup Language – was born. In fact, Propylon CIO and co-founder, Sean McGrath was an invited expert to the special interest group that created XML and related standards at the W3C.
XML was quickly perceived as a pivotal advancement for document management, particularly for those involved in the publishing of journals, standards, and legal materials. Its inherent hierarchical structure seemed like an ideal fit. Metadata could be added at fine levels of granularity that offer numerous downstream benefits. Today, this becomes more important in the question of making standards more usable for downstream consumers.
eXtyles emerged as a popular solution for Standards Development Organizations (SDOs) and National Standards Bodies (NSBs) looking to aid the publication, interchange, and accessibility of standards. The challenge it sought to address was introducing XML into workflows reliant on collaborative authoring and iterative revisions within Microsoft Word. eXtyles supported customers with the ability to author and revise standards in Word while integrating a state-of-the-art XML workflow.
However, the landscape is shifting. In August 2024, Wiley Partner Solutions announced that it would be ending the development and external support for all eXtyles products in 2026.
How can organizations currently relying on eXtyles strategically position themselves for a successful transition?
Such is the ubiquity of Microsoft today that many professionals are provided with work laptops that have Word and Microsoft 365 tools pre-installed.
Author and revise standards in Microsoft Word: no conversion required
Consumers of standards have pressing reuse challenges that they are solving today via manual methods. This issue of copying and pasting the relevant updates from PDF-based standards into operational materials, line-of-business applications, etc, is associated with risks for both standards consumers and developers. Consumers of standards have a maintenance issue on their hands. When the standard falls out of date, how will they know where the relevant updates are applicable? Developers of standards have a traceability issue on their hands. How can they know how the standard is being used downstream?
Componentization lays a foundation for enriching elements of standards, with metadata, but also for attaching time-based identifiers so that each requirement, each clause, can be tracked across its full lifecycle. It’s also much easier for consumers of standards to stay up to date.
Browser-based: secure, no installation
The next chapter in standards publishing
The discontinuation of eXtyles presents an opportunity for standards developers to evolve its Word-to-XML workflows. By embracing the native capabilities of Microsoft Word tools and adopting methodologies like componentization, organizations can move beyond simply matching past functionalities. They can ensure that the SMEs can continue working in familiar tools while unlocking new ways to deliver value to customers in a digital future.
