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What's New

The highlights of each release. The complete notes and all downloads are on the GitHub Releases page; the version you are running is shown under Help → About FreeXmlToolkit.

Next release (in development)

Already on main, not yet released:

  • Grid: opened table cells are full grids at any depth (select, edit, navigate, search, resize and drag & drop inside them); select whole table rows/columns and open nested cells with + / −; the entry helpers panel (Siblings / Children / Values) beside the XML grid. JSON grid: change a value's type via its type icon, drag & drop, Table submenu. See Grid View.
  • Network: complete proxy settings (system / manual / none, exceptions, authentication incl. NTLM/Kerberos, timeouts, Test Connection); every HTTP connection uses them. See Settings.
  • Settings: old log files are deleted automatically (LOG FILES card); the clear buttons show the space in use.
  • XSD documentation: type definitions, SVG overview and metadata are on by default; the Data Dictionary Excel export has the look of the HTML documentation.

2.7.0 (2026-10-29)

  • XMLSpy-style grid for XML: block layout with docked tables and inline previews, table cell ranges and TSV copy/paste with spreadsheets, flip rows/columns, sortable and movable columns, multi-selection, split view, sticky scroll header, sibling groups for huge containers, validation markers, XQuery filters (Filter to Focus) and formulas, drag & drop, Edit as Raw Text (Ctrl+Alt+R), Wrap in Element, configurable cell colours. See Grid View.
  • XSD editor: only structural edits that keep the schema valid are allowed; create global complex and simple types; set type, cardinality and more when adding a node; drag & drop in the Graphic view; a type picker with explanations. See XSD Tools.
  • IntelliSense: attribute and value completion for XSLT and XSD-bound XML. See Auto-Completion.
  • Editor tabs can be reordered by drag and have a context menu (Reload, Close Others, Copy Path, Reveal…); problem rows can be copied.

2.6.0 (2026-10-25)

  • Interactive debugger for XSLT, XQuery and Schematron (at the .sch lines): DEBUG dock below the editor, conditional breakpoints, hit counts, logpoints, template / function / mode and input-node breakpoints, break on errors and xsl:message, Pause (F6), line stepping, Smart Step Into (Shift+F7), Run to Cursor (Ctrl+F10), debug configurations and Re-run Last Debug, Evaluate (Alt+F8), structured variables, watches, inline and hover values, changed-value markers, Explain Match, coverage, output so far and output-to-source mapping. See Debugger.
  • Memory: the heap limit follows the installed RAM and is adjustable in Settings; large files are guarded. See Settings → Memory.
  • Files: every opened file goes into Recent (configurable limit); files picked, dropped or chosen from favorites open in the editor; "Open with" works on all platforms; quitting asks about unsaved documents.

2.5.1 (2026-10-20)

  • Streamlined workflows: Settings, Schema Library and Signature open as pages in the main area; Help is a menu (header ? and F1); the Welcome page has a task list and Open an Example.
  • Properties inspector redesign, and editing the bound XSD from an XML document (type, cardinality, facets, documentation) with Open in schema. See Properties Inspector.
  • Large documents and schemas stay responsive: typing, highlighting, folding, view switches, saving and formatting no longer block the window.

2.5.0 (2026-10-15)

  • Installation via package managers: updates of Scoop / Homebrew / winget / Flatpak installs show the matching upgrade command. See Installation.
  • SHA256SUMS.txt with every release; Linux desktop entry, AppStream metadata and icons.
  • Code signing policy.

2.4.0 (2026-10-14)

  • macOS: packages signed and notarized by Apple; native system menu bar.
  • Menu bar (File, Edit, View, Tools, Help) with every action by name; Ctrl/Cmd+W closes the tab, Ctrl/Cmd+, opens the settings.
  • Files changed outside the app are detected (also on network drives) and can be reloaded.

2.3.0 / 2.3.1 (2026-09-28 / 2026-10-08)

  • Schema Analysis tool with types, statistics, quality checks and report export (CSV, JSON, HTML, PDF, XLSX). See XSD Tools.
  • Workflow colours for every activity; labelled action rows in all side panels.
  • Grid: wrapped values, measured column widths, zoom, resizable columns.
  • Settings are stored in ~/.freeXmlToolkit/FreeXmlToolkit.properties.
  • 2.3.1: no more UI freezes on large diffs, minified files and web-imported schemas; log files roll over automatically.

2.2.0 (2026-09-24)

  • Anonymous usage statistics and error reports (opt-out). See Privacy & Telemetry.
  • JSON grid view; .jsonc / .json5 open as JSON. See JSON Editor.
  • A much more reliable sample XML generator and the Schema Analysis tool tab.

Where the former tabs went

The Unified Shell consolidates what used to be separate sidebar tabs. The earlier standalone editors - XSD Editor, XSD Validation, JSON Editor, XSLT Viewer, Schematron, Schema Generator, Digital Signatures and FOP/PDF - have been retired and their functionality now lives in the shell:

Former tab Now in the shell
XSD Editor / Tools Open an .xsd: Text/Tree/Graphic views + inspector; Schema activity (Type Library panel) for type editing, documentation, flatten and schema analysis
XSD Validation Validation activity (single + batch, XSD & Schematron)
JSON Editor Open a .json / .jsonc / .json5: Text / Tree / Graphic (grid) views + inspector; JSONPath via the Query Console; JSON Schema validation in the Validation activity
XSLT Viewer Transform panel (set stylesheet, transform, preview, browser)
Schematron Validation activity: check rules, templates, tester, builder, documentation, CSV/JSON export
Schema Generator Editor toolbar Schema ▾ → Generate XSD from XML
Digital Signatures Signature activity (sign, validate, trust validation, certificate creation)
FOP / PDF FOP activity (XSL-FO → PDF + preview)
XSLT Developer Transform panel + editor: run/live transform, parameters, and the OPTIONS & TOOLS section (batch, profile, trace, debugger) — see XSLT Developer
XML Editor The shell's editor itself: every XML document opens with IntelliSense, Text/Tree/Graphic views and the Properties inspector