ediarum - an easy tool for editing manuscripts with TEI XML

Ediarum

... is a package of different combinable software solutions and technologies. Together these options create a digital work environment in which manuscripts and other TEI-XML documents can easily be transcribed and edited. ediarum must always be customized for the individual project.

User-friendly editing in Oxygen XML Author

The central software component is Oxygen XML Author . The researcher does not edit the TEI XML code directly, but instead works in a user-friendly Author mode, which is designed through Cascading Stylesheets (CSS). Additionally, a toolbar is provided with which the researcher can enter TEI markup with the push of a button. The entire manuscript text can thus be quickly and simply marked up with TEI conform XML.

Collaborate through a central database

The digital work environment uses the XML database "eXistdb"  as the central repository for its documents. The database is installed onto a server and is available online. This allows all project-members to access one and the same data inventory and thus work collaboratively.

Central index

In the database it is possible to create and update central indexes for persons, places, titles, etc. While marking up text one can also index specific words (such as a person's name) to a register. To this end a function was programmed that generates a list in which the person's name (or place name, etc.) can be selected to then be indexed.

Website

A website can be built for the project based on eXist, XQuery, and XSLT. On the website the researchers can easily page through or search the current data inventory. It is possible for the website to be available only to project staff or open to the public.