Jump to content

SoftQuad Software: Difference between revisions

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
m →‎Author/Editor: Add link to Interleaf wiki page
 
(29 intermediate revisions by 24 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Infobox company
⚫
'''SoftQuad Software''' was a Canadian software company best known for [[HoTMetaL]],<ref name=CDN2012 /> the first commercial [[HTML]] editor.<ref name=w3c-people-liam>{{cite web |url=http://www.w3.org/People/#liam |title=People of the W3C |at=Liam Quin |accessdate=June 15, 2014}}</ref><ref name=Dyer2003>{{cite web |url=http://www.xml.com/lpt/a/1191 |title=The XML.com Interview: Liam Quin |first=Russell |last=Dyer |date=April 9, 2003 |publisher=O'Reilly Media |website=XML.com |accessdate=June 15, 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714201810/http://www.xml.com/lpt/a/1191 |archivedate=July 14, 2014 |df= }}</ref><ref name=Karat2008>{{cite book |title=Web Accessibility : A Foundation for Research |page=129 |last1=Karat |first1=John |last2=Vanderdonckt |first2=Jean |last3=Abowd |first3=Gregory |date=January 2008 |publisher=Springer |place=London, UK |oclc= 288468438 }}</ref> It is also known for Author/Editor, the first specialized SGML editor,<ref name=Maxwell-nd /> and Panorama, the first browser plugin for SGML.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://access.ncsa.illinois.edu/Releases/95Releases/950518.SoftQuad.html |title=NCSA/SOFTQUAD |type=Press release |date=May 18, 1995 |first=Karen |last=Green |publisher=[[National Center for Supercomputing Applications|NCSA]] |accessdate=June 15, 2014}}</ref> Panorama demonstrated the need for standardization of SGML on the web,<ref name=w3c-people-liam /> which eventually resulted in the development of the XML specification.<ref>{{cite book |title=SGML FAQ Book : Understanding the Foundation of HTML and XML |first=Steven J. |last= DeRose |publisher=Springer |place=Boston, MA |year=1997 |pages=185–186}}</ref>
| name = SoftQuad Software
| logo = SoftQuad Software logo.svg
| type = [[Public company|Public]]
| industry = Software
| founded = {{Start date and age|1984}} in [[Toronto]]
| founders = {{ubl|[[Yuri Rubinsky]]|David Slocombe|Stan Bevington}}
| defunct = {{End date|2001}}
| fate = Acquired by Just Systems
| products = [[HoTMetaL]]
| num_employees =
| num_employees_year = <!-- Year of num_employees data (if known) -->
}}
⚫
'''SoftQuad Software''' was a Canadian software company best known for [[HoTMetaL]],<ref name=CDN2012 /> the first commercial [[HTML]] editor.<ref name=w3c-people-liam>{{cite web |url=http://www.w3.org/People/#liam |title=People of the W3C |at=Liam Quin |access-date=June 15, 2014}}</ref><ref name=Dyer2003>{{cite web |url=http://www.xml.com/lpt/a/1191 |title=The XML.com Interview: Liam Quin |first=Russell |last=Dyer |date=April 9, 2003 |publisher=O'Reilly Media |website=XML.com |access-date=June 15, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714201810/http://www.xml.com/lpt/a/1191 |archive-date=July 14, 2014 }}</ref><ref name=Karat2008>{{cite book |title=Web Accessibility : A Foundation for Research |page=129 |last1=Karat |first1=John |last2=Vanderdonckt |first2=Jean |last3=Abowd |first3=Gregory |date=January 2008 |publisher=Springer |place=London, UK |oclc= 288468438 }}</ref> It is also known for Author/Editor, the first specialized SGML editor,<ref name=Maxwell-nd /> and Panorama, the first browser plugin for SGML.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://access.ncsa.illinois.edu/Releases/95Releases/950518.SoftQuad.html |title=NCSA/SOFTQUAD |type=Press release |date=May 18, 1995 |first=Karen |last=Green |publisher=[[National Center for Supercomputing Applications|NCSA]] |access-date=June 15, 2014}}</ref> Panorama demonstrated the need for standardization of SGML on the web,<ref name=w3c-people-liam /> which eventually resulted in the development of the XML specification.<ref>{{cite book |title=SGML FAQ Book : Understanding the Foundation of HTML and XML |first=Steven J. |last= DeRose |publisher=Springer |place=Boston, MA |year=1997 |pages=185–186}}</ref>


HoTMetaL was one of a series of applications created by SoftQuad for editing, viewing and publishing structured ([[SGML]] and [[XML]]) content. It was based upon a popular SGML Editor called Author/Editor and has since evolved into [[XMetaL]].
HoTMetaL was one of a series of applications created by SoftQuad for editing, viewing and publishing structured ([[SGML]] and [[XML]]) content. It was based upon a popular SGML Editor called Author/Editor and has since evolved into [[XMetaL]].


==Early history==
==Early history==
SoftQuad started its life in 1984 as a technology-oriented spin-off of [[Toronto]]'s [[Coach House Press]].<ref name=CDN2012>{{cite web |url=http://www.computerdealernews.com/slideshows/10-canadian-technology-brands-that-are-no-more |title=10 Canadian technology brands that are no more |author=Canadian Dealer News |date=November 21, 2012 |page=11 |accessdate=June 16, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ccsp.sfu.ca/2013/09/coach-house-retrotech/ |title=Coach House #retrotech – An Update for Sept 2013 |first=John |last=Maxwell |date=September 9, 2013|website=Publishing @ SFU |publisher=[[Simon Fraser University]] |accessdate=June 16, 2014}}</ref> Its founders were [[Yuri Rubinsky]], David Slocombe and Stan Bevington.<ref name=Maxwell-nd>{{cite web |url=http://hpcanpub.mcmaster.ca/case-study/coach-house-press-crucible-electronic-publishing-technology |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004084515/http://hpcanpub.mcmaster.ca/case-study/coach-house-press-crucible-electronic-publishing-technology |archivedate=October 4, 2013 |title=Coach House Press: Crucible of Electronic Publishing Technology |first=John W. |last=Maxwell |website=Historical Perspectives on Canadian Publishing }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.utoronto.ca/atrc/rd/Rubinsky/yuri/about-yuri.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20020210072432/http://www.utoronto.ca/atrc/rd/Rubinsky/yuri/about-yuri.html |archivedate=February 10, 2002 |title=Yuri Rubinsky (1952–1996) |first=Jonathan |last=Seybold |website=University of Toronto |date= |accessdate=2013-09-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=http://fisher.library.utoronto.ca/sites/default/files/halcyon_dec_2009.pdf |title=Highlights of 2008 Donations |journal=The Halcyon: The Newsletter of the Friends of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library |publisher=[[University of Toronto]] |issn=0840-5565 |date=December 2009 |issue=44 |page=11 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714113502/http://fisher.library.utoronto.ca/sites/default/files/halcyon_dec_2009.pdf |archivedate=2014-07-14 |df= }}</ref>
SoftQuad started its life in 1984 as a technology-oriented spin-off of [[Toronto]]'s [[Coach House Press]].<ref name=CDN2012>{{cite web |url=http://www.computerdealernews.com/slideshows/10-canadian-technology-brands-that-are-no-more |title=10 Canadian technology brands that are no more |author=Canadian Dealer News |date=November 21, 2012 |page=11 |access-date=June 16, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ccsp.sfu.ca/2013/09/coach-house-retrotech/ |title=Coach House #retrotech – An Update for Sept 2013 |first=John |last=Maxwell |date=September 9, 2013 |website=Publishing @ SFU |publisher=[[Simon Fraser University]] |access-date=June 16, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714135034/http://www.ccsp.sfu.ca/2013/09/coach-house-retrotech/ |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> Its founders were [[Yuri Rubinsky]], David Slocombe and Stan Bevington.<ref name=Maxwell-nd>{{cite web |url=http://hpcanpub.mcmaster.ca/case-study/coach-house-press-crucible-electronic-publishing-technology |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004084515/http://hpcanpub.mcmaster.ca/case-study/coach-house-press-crucible-electronic-publishing-technology |archive-date=October 4, 2013 |title=Coach House Press: Crucible of Electronic Publishing Technology |first=John W. |last=Maxwell |website=Historical Perspectives on Canadian Publishing }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.utoronto.ca/atrc/rd/Rubinsky/yuri/about-yuri.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020210072432/http://www.utoronto.ca/atrc/rd/Rubinsky/yuri/about-yuri.html |archive-date=February 10, 2002 |title=Yuri Rubinsky (1952–1996) |first=Jonathan |last=Seybold |website=University of Toronto |access-date=2013-09-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |url=http://fisher.library.utoronto.ca/sites/default/files/halcyon_dec_2009.pdf |title=Highlights of 2008 Donations |journal=The Halcyon: The Newsletter of the Friends of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library |publisher=[[University of Toronto]] |issn=0840-5565 |date=December 2009 |issue=44 |page=11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714113502/http://fisher.library.utoronto.ca/sites/default/files/halcyon_dec_2009.pdf |archive-date=2014-07-14 }}</ref>


SoftQuad was started in order to improve automated typesetting at Toronto's Coach House Press, and for many years developed an enhanced commercial version of the text formatting program [[troff]], developed under license from [[AT&T]], called [[sqtroff]].<ref name=Maxwell-nd /> It was sold with a suite of associated programs, corresponding to [[AT&T]]'s Documenter's Workbench, under the name SoftQuad Publishing Software (SQPS).<ref>{{cite newsgroup |newsgroup=comp.text |url=http://www.informatica.co.cr/unix/research/1988/0728.htm |message-id=11024@mcdchg.UUCP |first=Ian |last=Darwin |date=28 July 1988 |title=SoftQuad Publishing Software Release 2.9 |accessdate=June 16, 2014 }}{{Dead link|date=December 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
SoftQuad was started in order to improve automated typesetting at Toronto's Coach House Press, and for many years developed an enhanced commercial version of the text formatting program [[troff]], developed under license from [[AT&T]], called sqtroff.<ref name=Maxwell-nd /> It was sold with a suite of associated programs, corresponding to [[AT&T]]'s Documenter's Workbench, under the name SoftQuad Publishing Software (SQPS).<ref>{{cite newsgroup |newsgroup=comp.text |url=http://www.informatica.co.cr/unix/research/1988/0728.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140617034859/http://www.informatica.co.cr/unix/research/1988/0728.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 June 2014 |message-id=11024@mcdchg.UUCP |first=Ian |last=Darwin |date=28 July 1988 |title=SoftQuad Publishing Software Release 2.9 |access-date=June 16, 2014 }}</ref>


SoftQuad's business headquarters was in Toronto. After SQPS was largely supplanted by Author/Editor as SoftQuad's main product, product development was transitioned to the Vancouver area, retaining the Toronto team as combined professional services and customization development for Author/Editor and its associated software development kit, called "Sculptor". This arrangement arose out of a highly coincidental reunion of Yuri Rubinsky (in Toronto) and his high school friend Peter Sharpe.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://xml.coverpages.org/yuriMemSharpe.html |title=SGML: Memory of Yuri Rubinsky (1952–1996) |date=29–31 January 1996 |first=Peter |last=Sharpe |accessdate=2013-09-21}}</ref> Peter Sharpe led the development of Author/Editor.<ref name=Maxwell-nd /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.darwinsys.com/history/yuri.html |title=Tribute to Yuri Rubinsky: SGML and the man |website=Ian F. Darwin, M.Sc. |first=Ian F. |last=Darwin |date=1996-01-23 |accessdate=2013-09-21}}</ref>
SoftQuad's business headquarters was in Toronto. After SQPS was largely supplanted by Author/Editor as SoftQuad's main product, product development was transitioned to the Vancouver area, retaining the Toronto team as combined professional services and customization development for Author/Editor and its associated software development kit, called "Sculptor". This arrangement arose out of a highly coincidental reunion of Yuri Rubinsky (in Toronto) and his high school friend Peter Sharpe.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://xml.coverpages.org/yuriMemSharpe.html |title=SGML: Memory of Yuri Rubinsky (1952–1996) |date=29–31 January 1996 |first=Peter |last=Sharpe |access-date=2013-09-21}}</ref> Peter Sharpe led the development of Author/Editor.<ref name=Maxwell-nd /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.darwinsys.com/history/yuri.html |title=Tribute to Yuri Rubinsky: SGML and the man |website=Ian F. Darwin, M.Sc. |first=Ian F. |last=Darwin |date=1996-01-23 |access-date=2013-09-21}}</ref>


By virtue of its early lead and its charismatic leader, Yuri Rubinsky, SoftQuad provided considerable leadership to the nascent SGML community. For example, Yuri Rubinsky was the first president of [[SGML Open]].<ref>{{cite newsgroup |url=http://xml.coverpages.org/yuriMemGennusa.html |newsgroup=comp.text.sgml |message-id=310D30BE@gateway.dpsl.co.uk |title=In memory of Yuri Rubinsky |work=SGML: Memory of Yuri Rubinsky (1952–1996) |first=Pamela L. |last=Gennusa |date=29 January 1996 |accessdate=June 16, 2014}}</ref>
By virtue of its early lead and its charismatic leader, Yuri Rubinsky, SoftQuad provided considerable leadership to the nascent SGML community. For example, Yuri Rubinsky was the first president of [[SGML Open]].<ref>{{cite newsgroup |url=http://xml.coverpages.org/yuriMemGennusa.html |newsgroup=comp.text.sgml |message-id=310D30BE@gateway.dpsl.co.uk |title=In memory of Yuri Rubinsky |work=SGML: Memory of Yuri Rubinsky (1952–1996) |first=Pamela L. |last=Gennusa |date=29 January 1996 |access-date=June 16, 2014}}</ref>


==Author/Editor==
==Author/Editor==
Author/Editor appeared on the market in 1988 as the world's first specialized SGML editing application.<ref name=Maxwell-nd /> The first version ran on the Macintosh. Windows and Unix versions followed in 1991. Author/Editor 3.0 was summarized as "a very pure structure editor which validates the document all the time. Invalid documents can also be edited if the parser is turned off. The main window is a [[QUASIWYG]] representation of text, a structure view and a context view are also available. The structure view shows tags indented, the context view shows paths in the same way. An element list is used to pick up an element to insert. The representation on screen is done with a style editor, which generates style files. The program has many DTD with it, but new DTD's are imported by the RulesBuilder, which converts a DTD to a structure definition required by Author/Editor. There is an English thesaurus and a dictionary for spell checking."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oasis-open.org/cover/textp1.html#Author/Editor |title=Kuopio Technical Report on SGML - A-E |publisher=Oasis-open.org |date= |accessdate=2013-09-21}}</ref>
Author/Editor appeared on the market in 1988 as the world's first specialized SGML editing application.<ref name=Maxwell-nd /> The first version ran on the Macintosh. Windows and Unix versions followed in 1991. Author/Editor 3.0 was summarized as "a very pure structure editor which validates the document all the time. Documents which have a structure that doesn't comply with their [[document type definition]] can be edited by turning rules checking off, which can be helpful when re-arranging documents. The main window is a QUASIWYG representation of text, a structure view and a context view are also available. The structure view shows tags indented, the context view shows paths in the same way. An element list is used to pick up an element to insert. The representation on screen is done with a style editor, which generates style files. The program has many DTD with it, but new DTD's are imported by the RulesBuilder, which converts a DTD to a structure definition required by Author/Editor. There is an English thesaurus and a dictionary for spell checking."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oasis-open.org/cover/textp1.html#Author/Editor |title=Kuopio Technical Report on SGML - A-E |website=Oasis-open.org |access-date=2013-09-21}}</ref>


After several versions, Author/Editor was sold with the Panorama suite to Interleaf in September, 1998. At the same time, the Toronto development team, led by David A. Keldsen, joined Interleaf to help focus the company on content management and create new products. By that point, SoftQuad's focus had shifted to its descendants, HoTMetaL and XMetaL. Interleaf did not produce new versions of Author/Editor. Sales were discontinued in 2000.<ref>{{cite mailing list |url=http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind0005e&L=archives&D=0&F=P&T=0&P=2217 |title=EAD Software? |first=Amy |last=Cooper |mailing-list=Archives & Archivists |publisher=Listserv.muohio.edu |date=2000-05-30 |accessdate=2013-09-21}}</ref>
After several versions, Author/Editor was sold with the Panorama suite to [[Interleaf]] in September, 1998. At the same time, the Toronto development team, led by David A. Keldsen, joined Interleaf to help focus the company on content management and create new products. By that point, SoftQuad's focus had shifted to its descendants, HoTMetaL and XMetaL. Interleaf did not produce new versions of Author/Editor. Sales were discontinued in 2000.<ref>{{cite mailing list |url=http://listserv.muohio.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind0005e&L=archives&D=0&F=P&T=0&P=2217 |title=EAD Software? |first=Amy |last=Cooper |mailing-list=Archives & Archivists|date=2000-05-30 |access-date=2013-09-21}}</ref>


Author/Editor had sibling products RulesBuilder and Sculptor, the Application Builder. RulesBuilder was used for compiling SGML DTDs to a fully resolved and validated binary form that Author/Editor could consume. Sculptor was used to build customized user interfaces for Author/Editor.<ref>{{cite journal |journal=[[PC Magazine]] |issn=0888-8507 |title=HTML: Nothing but Net |first=Sean |last=González |page=158 | date=February 7, 1995 |volume=14 |issue=3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v-ujWW1YGuwC&pg=PA158&lpg=PA158 |accessdate=June 16, 2014}}</ref> ApplicationBuilder used Scheme for its customization language.<ref>{{cite mailing list |url=http://www.scsh.net/mail-archive/scsh-users/1996-04/msg00029.html |mailing-list=scsh |title=Re: The six-line Internet flaming-death server |first=Pontus |last=Hedman |publisher=Scsh.net |date=1996-04-17 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130925091630/http://www.scsh.net/mail-archive/scsh-users/1996-04/msg00029.html |archivedate=September 25, 2013 |accessdate=2013-09-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite mailing list|url=http://lists.xml.org/archives/xml-dev/199710/msg00105.html |mailing-list=xml-dev |title=Re: Prototype OO was Re: Inheritance/defaulting of attributes |first=Liam |last=Quin |date=15 October 1997 |accessdate=2013-09-21}}</ref> Sculptor is conceptually the ancestor of today's XMetaL Developer.
Author/Editor had sibling products RulesBuilder and Sculptor, the Application Builder. RulesBuilder was used for compiling SGML DTDs to a fully resolved and validated binary form that Author/Editor could consume. Sculptor was used to build customized user interfaces for Author/Editor.<ref>{{cite journal |journal=[[PC Magazine]] |issn=0888-8507 |title=HTML: Nothing but Net |first=Sean |last=González |page=158 | date=February 7, 1995 |volume=14 |issue=3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v-ujWW1YGuwC&pg=PA158 |access-date=June 16, 2014}}</ref> ApplicationBuilder used Scheme for its customization language.<ref>{{cite mailing list |url=http://www.scsh.net/mail-archive/scsh-users/1996-04/msg00029.html |mailing-list=scsh |title=Re: The six-line Internet flaming-death server |first=Pontus |last=Hedman |date=1996-04-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130925091630/http://www.scsh.net/mail-archive/scsh-users/1996-04/msg00029.html |archive-date=September 25, 2013 |access-date=2013-09-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite mailing list|url=http://lists.xml.org/archives/xml-dev/199710/msg00105.html |mailing-list=xml-dev |title=Re: Prototype OO was Re: Inheritance/defaulting of attributes |first=Liam |last=Quin |date=15 October 1997 |access-date=2013-09-21}}</ref> Sculptor is conceptually the ancestor of today's XMetaL Developer.


==Panorama==
==Panorama==
Panorama was a multi-platform web browser plugin for SGML content. There was a style editor and support for linking using a mixture of SGML HyTime and TEI Pointers. There was also support for distributed annotations.
Panorama was a multi-platform web browser plugin for SGML content. There was a style editor and support for linking using a mixture of SGML HyTime and TEI Pointers. There was also support for distributed annotations.


Panorama was described as "A browser for SGML texts. The NCSA (National Center for Supercomputer Applications) includes the [free] version of Panorama into its Mosaic delivery. The Mosaic [browser] will launch Panorama when it encounters any other SGML file than an HTML file. Panorama will have a style editor to define the outlook of documents. The commercial version has additional features like the ability to create annotations and customized bookmarks."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oasis-open.org/cover/textp3.html#SoftQuadPanorama |title=Kuopio Technical Report on SGML - N-Z |publisher=Oasis-open.org |date= |accessdate=2013-09-21}}</ref>
Panorama was described as "A browser for SGML texts. The NCSA (National Center for Supercomputer Applications) includes the [free] version of Panorama into its Mosaic delivery. The Mosaic [browser] will launch Panorama when it encounters any other SGML file than an HTML file. Panorama will have a style editor to define the outlook of documents. The commercial version has additional features like the ability to create annotations and customized bookmarks."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oasis-open.org/cover/textp3.html#SoftQuadPanorama |title=Kuopio Technical Report on SGML - N-Z |website=Oasis-open.org |access-date=2013-09-21}}</ref>


==SoftQuad goes public==
==SoftQuad goes public==
In 1992, SoftQuad went public on the Vancouver Stock Exchange through a reverse takeover of BC's "Hatco".<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NEW/is_1992_Dec_16/ai_13090319] {{dead link|date=September 2013}}</ref>
In 1992, SoftQuad went public on the Vancouver Stock Exchange through a reverse takeover of BC's "Hatco".<ref>[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NEW/is_1992_Dec_16/ai_13090319] {{dead link|date=September 2013}}</ref> In January 1994, SoftQuad was listed on the [[Toronto Stock Exchange]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://xml.coverpages.org/rubinskyFocus.html |title=SGML |website=Xml.coverpages.org |access-date=2013-09-21}}</ref>
In January 1994, SoftQuad was listed on the [[Toronto Stock Exchange]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://xml.coverpages.org/rubinskyFocus.html |title=SGML |publisher=Xml.coverpages.org |date= |accessdate=2013-09-21}}</ref>


==HoTMetaL==
==HoTMetaL==
Released in 1994,<ref>{{cite newsgroup |newsgroup=comp.text.sgml |message-id=1994Jun2.020714.1460@sq.sq.com |url=http://groups.google.com/group/comp.text.sgml/msg/1ac7322b9e8b777b |title=SoftQuad announces WYSIWYG HTML Editor available for FTP |first=Ian |last=Darwin |date=June 3, 1994 |accessdate=2013-09-21}}</ref> HoTMetaL was the first commercial HTML authoring product.<ref name=w3c-people-liam /><ref name=Dyer2003 /><ref name=Karat2008 /> SoftQuad was able to beat other products to the market by virtue of the fact that HTML was defined as an application (Document Type Definition) of SGML. By virtue of this strong base and early lead, HoTMetaL became very popular as a tool for creating HTML web sites.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=http://gatekeeper.dec.com/pub/net/infosys/NCSA/Web/html/hotmetal/FAQ |title=SoftQuad HoTMetaL: Frequently Asked Questions |archiveurl=https://archive.is/20070928224637/http://gatekeeper.dec.com/pub/net/infosys/NCSA/Web/html/hotmetal/FAQ |archivedate=September 28, 2007|accessdate=June 14, 2014}}</ref>
Released in 1994,<ref>{{cite newsgroup |newsgroup=comp.text.sgml |message-id=1994Jun2.020714.1460@sq.sq.com |url=http://groups.google.com/group/comp.text.sgml/msg/1ac7322b9e8b777b |title=SoftQuad announces WYSIWYG HTML Editor available for FTP |first=Ian |last=Darwin |date=June 3, 1994 |access-date=2013-09-21}}</ref> HoTMetaL was the first commercial HTML authoring product.<ref name=w3c-people-liam /><ref name=Dyer2003 /><ref name=Karat2008 /> SoftQuad was able to beat other products to the market by virtue of the fact that HTML was defined as an application (Document Type Definition) of SGML. By virtue of this strong base and early lead, HoTMetaL became very popular as a tool for creating HTML web sites.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web|url=http://gatekeeper.dec.com/pub/net/infosys/NCSA/Web/html/hotmetal/FAQ |title=SoftQuad HoTMetaL: Frequently Asked Questions |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070928224637/http://gatekeeper.dec.com/pub/net/infosys/NCSA/Web/html/hotmetal/FAQ |archive-date=September 28, 2007|access-date=June 14, 2014}}</ref>


HoTMetaL was initially free, but a commercial version HoTMetaL Pro was soon released. Early versions of HoTMetaL ran on Windows and Unix.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> HoTMetaL Pro also ran on Macintosh,<ref>{{cite web |title=The First WYSIWYG Editor Shoot-out |date=March 30, 1998 |publisher=[[Webmonkey]] |url=http://www.webmonkey.com/webmonkey/98/13/index1a_page5.html?tw=archive |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928063941/http://www.webmonkey.com/webmonkey/98/13/index1a_page5.html?tw=archive |archivedate=September 28, 2007 |accessdate=June 14, 2014}}</ref> but by version 5, it was restricted to Windows.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://xml.coverpages.org/hm980914.html |title=SoftQuad Introduces HoTMetaL PRO 5.0 |publisher=Xml.coverpages.org |date=1998-09-14 |accessdate=2013-09-21}}</ref>
HoTMetaL was initially free, but a commercial version HoTMetaL Pro was soon released. Early versions of HoTMetaL ran on Windows and Unix.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> HoTMetaL Pro also ran on Macintosh,<ref>{{cite web |title=The First WYSIWYG Editor Shoot-out |date=March 30, 1998 |publisher=[[Webmonkey]] |url=http://www.webmonkey.com/webmonkey/98/13/index1a_page5.html?tw=archive |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928063941/http://www.webmonkey.com/webmonkey/98/13/index1a_page5.html?tw=archive |archive-date=September 28, 2007 |access-date=June 14, 2014}}</ref> but by version 5, it was restricted to Windows.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://xml.coverpages.org/hm980914.html |title=SoftQuad Introduces HoTMetaL PRO 5.0 |website=Xml.coverpages.org |date=1998-09-14 |access-date=2013-09-21}}</ref>


On the basis of HoTMetaL's early success, SoftQuad was able to go public on the [[NASDAQ]] stock exchange as SWEBF.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20150924033838/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1996_Feb_20/ai_18011298 </ref>
On the basis of HoTMetaL's early success, SoftQuad was able to go public on the [[NASDAQ]] stock exchange as SWEBF.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1996_Feb_20/ai_18011298 |title=Archived copy |website=www.findarticles.com |access-date=13 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924033838/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1996_Feb_20/ai_18011298 |archive-date=24 September 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>


Over time, however, companies like Microsoft and Netscape increasingly saw HTML authoring tools as loss leaders to tempt web developers into their product suites.
Over time, however, companies like Microsoft and Netscape increasingly saw HTML authoring tools as loss leaders to tempt web developers into their product suites.
Line 39: Line 51:
In addition, HoTMetaL adhered to the SGML philosophies that dictated that content should adhere to standards and that the structure and presentation of content should be separate. HoTMetaL was excellent at visualizing the structure of the content, and of enforcing the standards. But neither of these were as important to Web designers as [[WYSIWYG|"What You See Is What You Get"]] presentation of the content, which was better provided by products like DreamWeaver and FrontPage.
In addition, HoTMetaL adhered to the SGML philosophies that dictated that content should adhere to standards and that the structure and presentation of content should be separate. HoTMetaL was excellent at visualizing the structure of the content, and of enforcing the standards. But neither of these were as important to Web designers as [[WYSIWYG|"What You See Is What You Get"]] presentation of the content, which was better provided by products like DreamWeaver and FrontPage.


In September, 1996, SoftQuad released HoTMetaL Intranet Publisher (HiP).<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20150924033840/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1996_Sept_18/ai_18681292 </ref> HiP was essentially an Intranet Content Management System.
In September, 1996, SoftQuad released HoTMetaL Intranet Publisher (HiP).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1996_Sept_18/ai_18681292 |title=Archived copy |website=www.findarticles.com |access-date=13 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924033840/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1996_Sept_18/ai_18681292 |archive-date=24 September 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> HiP was essentially an Intranet Content Management System.


==Corporate transitions==
==Corporate transitions==
Line 46: Line 58:
In November 1996, SoftQuad reported substantial revenue growth but also substantial losses.
In November 1996, SoftQuad reported substantial revenue growth but also substantial losses.


In December 1996, SoftQuad acquired [[Alpha Software]], creator of popular desktop database publishing software. Alpha's software was intended to be integrated with SoftQuad's to enable Web-based publishing of database-stored information.
In December 1996, SoftQuad acquired Alpha Software, creator of popular desktop database publishing software. Alpha's software was intended to be integrated with SoftQuad's to enable Web-based publishing of database-stored information.


Alpha Software's Richard Rabins was made an Executive Vice President of SoftQuad International Inc. In September, 1997, he became CEO<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20150924042200/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NEW/is_1997_Sept_4/ai_19724245 </ref> after SoftQuad's losses mounted. The positions of President and Chief Financial Officer were also changed at the same time. Essentially, the Alpha Software team was asked to use its experience in commercial software to turn the struggling company around.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20150924042200/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NEW/is_1997_Sept_2/ai_19778907 </ref>
Alpha Software's Richard Rabins was made an Executive Vice President of SoftQuad International Inc. In September, 1997, he became CEO<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NEW/is_1997_Sept_4/ai_19724245 |title=Archived copy |website=www.findarticles.com |access-date=13 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924042200/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NEW/is_1997_Sept_4/ai_19724245 |archive-date=24 September 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> after SoftQuad's losses mounted. The positions of President and Chief Financial Officer were also changed at the same time. Essentially, the Alpha Software team was asked to use its experience in commercial software to turn the struggling company around.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NEW/is_1997_Sept_2/ai_19778907 |title=Archived copy |website=www.findarticles.com |access-date=13 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924042200/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NEW/is_1997_Sept_2/ai_19778907 |archive-date=24 September 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>


In June 1998, Rabins decided to change the company's direction from markup technologies to a children's game subsidiary (NewKidCo) of SoftQuad International's Alpha software subsidiary.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://xml.coverpages.org/softQuadKidCo.html |title=SoftQuad International Explores Strategic Alternatives for Web Tools Unit - Press Centre |publisher=Xml.coverpages.org |date=1998-06-10 |accessdate=2013-09-21}}</ref>
In June 1998, Rabins decided to change the company's direction from markup technologies to a children's game subsidiary ([[NewKidCo]]) of SoftQuad International's Alpha software subsidiary.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://xml.coverpages.org/softQuadKidCo.html |title=SoftQuad International Explores Strategic Alternatives for Web Tools Unit - Press Centre |website=Xml.coverpages.org |date=1998-06-10 |access-date=2013-09-21}}</ref>


On October 9, 1998, SoftQuad was delisted from NASDAQ (but not the Toronto Stock Exchange) after falling under the minimum share price guidelines.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.siliconinvestor.com/readmsg.aspx?msgid=5977524 |title=SoftQuad International Inc. NASDAQ Listing Status |author=esecurities(tm) |publisher=Silicon Investor |date=October 9, 1998 |accessdate=June 15, 2014}}</ref>
On October 9, 1998, SoftQuad was delisted from NASDAQ (but not the Toronto Stock Exchange) after falling under the minimum share price guidelines.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.siliconinvestor.com/readmsg.aspx?msgid=5977524 |title=SoftQuad International Inc. NASDAQ Listing Status |publisher=Silicon Investor |date=October 9, 1998 |access-date=June 15, 2014}}</ref>


On November 10, 1998, SoftQuad International Inc. sold the assets (including trademarks) of SoftQuad Inc. (the structured authoring tools business) to private investors and management. This meant that after the purchase, SoftQuad was a private company again, this time named "SoftQuad Software Ltd." The parent company, SoftQuad International Ltd. was later renamed "NewKidCo" to reflect the fact that they did intended to pursue a different business than the historical SoftQuad and the new SoftQuad Software.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20050515155508/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1998_Dec_22/ai_53445742 </ref>
On November 10, 1998, SoftQuad International Inc. sold the assets (including trademarks) of SoftQuad Inc. (the structured authoring tools business) to private investors and management. This meant that after the purchase, SoftQuad was a private company again, this time named "SoftQuad Software Ltd." The parent company, SoftQuad International Ltd. was later renamed "NewKidCo" to reflect the fact that they did intended to pursue a different business than the historical SoftQuad and the new SoftQuad Software.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1998_Dec_22/ai_53445742|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050515155508/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1998_Dec_22/ai_53445742|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 May 2005|title=Business Wire: SoftQuad International Inc. Announces Special Meeting of Shareholders|date=15 May 2005|access-date=19 December 2018}}</ref>


In December 2000, SoftQuad bought Advanced Data Engineering (ADEI), a conversion tools company from Petaluma, California.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20040920053304/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FOX/is_20_5/ai_69015622 </ref> ADEI employees became the core of SoftQuad's XML consulting business.
In December 2000, SoftQuad bought Advanced Data Engineering (ADEI), a conversion tools company from Petaluma, California.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FOX/is_20_5/ai_69015622|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040920053304/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FOX/is_20_5/ai_69015622|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 September 2004|title=ENT: So Many Formats, So Utile Time: SoftQuad Buys Converter - Company Business and Marketing|date=20 September 2004|access-date=19 December 2018}}</ref> ADEI employees became the core of SoftQuad's XML consulting business.


In September 2000, SoftQuad released a short-lived product called MarketAgility.<ref>{{cite mailing list |url=https://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/announce/200009/msg00030.html |mailing-list=announce@lists.oasis-open.org |title=SoftQuad Announces the Availability of MarketAgility,A Supply-Side Solution for B2B E-commerce An end-to-end XML solution thatgives suppliers total control over their e-market presence |date=25 September 2000 |first=Heather |last=Grant |type=Press release |accessdate=June 15, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=Corel/Products/AllProducts |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20031003180607/http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=Corel%2FProducts%2FAllProducts |archivedate=October 3, 2003 |title=Products |publisher=[[Corel]] |accessdate=June 15, 2014 |deadurl=yes |df= }}</ref>
In September 2000, SoftQuad released a short-lived product called MarketAgility.<ref>{{cite mailing list |url=https://lists.oasis-open.org/archives/announce/200009/msg00030.html |mailing-list=announce@lists.oasis-open.org |title=SoftQuad Announces the Availability of MarketAgility, A Supply-Side Solution for B2B E-commerce An end-to-end XML solution thatgives suppliers total control over their e-market presence |date=25 September 2000 |first=Heather |last=Grant |type=Press release |access-date=June 15, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=Corel/Products/AllProducts |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031003180607/http://www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=Corel%2FProducts%2FAllProducts |archive-date=October 3, 2003 |title=Products |publisher=[[Corel]] |access-date=June 15, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
From a press release of the time: "MarketAgility Enterprise is a server-based solution built on Microsoft
From a press release of the time: "MarketAgility Enterprise is a server-based solution built on Microsoft
SQL Server and is administered through a simple browser interface. It automates the collection, normalization and incremental updating of product information from wherever it resides in an enterprise into an XML-based master catalog."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.canadait.com/cfm/index.cfm?It=106&Id=6098 |archive-url=https://archive.is/20070927021219/http://www.canadait.com/cfm/index.cfm?It=106&Id=6098 |dead-url=yes |archive-date=2007-09-27 |title=AC Industrial Chooses SoftQuad MarketAgility Enterprise To Create Customized e-Catalogs From Over 2.3 Million Products |type=Press release |publisher=Canada IT |date= |accessdate=2013-09-21}}</ref>
SQL Server and is administered through a simple browser interface. It automates the collection, normalization and incremental updating of product information from wherever it resides in an enterprise into an XML-based master catalog."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.canadait.com/cfm/index.cfm?It=106&Id=6098 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070927021219/http://www.canadait.com/cfm/index.cfm?It=106&Id=6098 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2007-09-27 |title=AC Industrial Chooses SoftQuad MarketAgility Enterprise To Create Customized e-Catalogs From Over 2.3 Million Products |type=Press release |publisher=Canada IT |access-date=2013-09-21}}</ref>


In January 2001, a former employee of SoftQuad formed a company called Enfolding Systems Corp. That company was acquired by Blast Radius in August 2002<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blastradius.com/who/article.jsp?id=368&type=3&searchtype=3 |type=Press release |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928105526/http://www.blastradius.com/who/article.jsp?id=368&type=3&searchtype=3 |archivedate=September 28, 2007 |date=September 17, 2002 |title=Blast Radius acquires Enfolding Systems Corp. |first=Christine |last=Gravelle |publisher=Blast Radius Inc. |accessdate=June 14, 2014}}</ref> and later, as a subsidiary of Blast Radius, acquired the SoftQuad assets from Corel Corp.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blastradius.com/who/article.jsp?id=118&type=1 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928105546/http://www.blastradius.com/who/article.jsp?id=118&type=1 |archivedate=September 28, 2007 |date=March 2, 2004 |title=Blast Radius scoops up division of Corel Corp. |type=Press Release |first=Glenn |last=Drexhage |accessdate=June 14, 2014}}</ref>
In January 2001, a former employee of SoftQuad formed a company called Enfolding Systems Corp. That company was acquired by Blast Radius in August 2002<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blastradius.com/who/article.jsp?id=368&type=3&searchtype=3 |type=Press release |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928105526/http://www.blastradius.com/who/article.jsp?id=368&type=3&searchtype=3 |archive-date=September 28, 2007 |date=September 17, 2002 |title=Blast Radius acquires Enfolding Systems Corp. |first=Christine |last=Gravelle |publisher=Blast Radius Inc. |access-date=June 14, 2014}}</ref> and later, as a subsidiary of Blast Radius, acquired the SoftQuad assets from Corel Corp.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blastradius.com/who/article.jsp?id=118&type=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928105546/http://www.blastradius.com/who/article.jsp?id=118&type=1 |archive-date=September 28, 2007 |date=March 2, 2004 |title=Blast Radius scoops up division of Corel Corp. |type=Press Release |first=Glenn |last=Drexhage |access-date=June 14, 2014}}</ref>


In August 2001, SoftQuad Software Ltd. was bought by desktop software vendor [[Corel]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jclark.com/bio.htm|title=James Clark|author=[[James Clark (programmer)|James Clark]]|quote=I was a major investor in and a director of SoftQuad Software before it was acquired by Corel.}}</ref> for about US$37 million in stock. After the Corel Acquisition, SoftQuad ceased to exist as a company, though many employees remained with the company as part of Corel's XMetaL division in Vancouver.
In August 2001, SoftQuad Software Ltd. was bought by desktop software vendor [[Corel]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jclark.com/bio.htm|title=James Clark|author=James Clark|author-link=James Clark (programmer)|quote=I was a major investor in and a director of SoftQuad Software before it was acquired by Corel.}}</ref> for about US$37 million in stock. After the Corel Acquisition, SoftQuad ceased to exist as a company, though many employees remained with the company as part of Corel's XMetaL division in Vancouver.


Subsequently, SoftQuad and most assets of the company were sold to [[Blast Radius]] in 2002.
Subsequently, SoftQuad and most assets of the company were sold to [[Blast Radius]] in 2002.


In 2004, [[Just Systems]] acquired SoftQuad's remaining assets, including its flagship XMetaL product, from [[Blast Radius]]. Today, XMetaL and most other Softquad assets are owned by [[JustSystems]] and the core code of XMetaL is maintained by some of the same programmers who worked at various incarnations of SoftQuad.
In 2004, Just Systems acquired SoftQuad's remaining assets, including its flagship XMetaL product, from [[Blast Radius]]. Today, XMetaL and most other Softquad assets are owned by [[JustSystems]] and the core code of XMetaL is maintained by some of the same programmers who worked at various incarnations of SoftQuad.


==Controversy==
==Controversy==
In March 2000, SoftQuad merged with American Sports Machine, effectively becoming an [[OTCBB]] public company. The new company was quickly renamed SoftQuad Software Ltd. and given the stock symbol SXML.
In March 2000, SoftQuad merged with American Sports Machine, effectively becoming an [[OTCBB]] public company. The new company was quickly renamed SoftQuad Software Ltd. and given the stock symbol SXML.


In late 2000, SoftQuad stock was involved in the [[Bermuda Short sting]]. 58 stock brokers and executives were indicted in the case which involved "defrauding the shareholders of C-Me-Run, SoftQuad and JagNotes by artificially inflating the market price of these stocks through illegal means."
In late 2000, SoftQuad stock was involved in the Bermuda Short sting. 58 stock brokers and executives were indicted in the case which involved "defrauding the shareholders of C-Me-Run, SoftQuad and JagNotes by artificially inflating the market price of these stocks through illegal means."


In 2004, two men caught in the Bermuda Short sting pleaded guilty to stock fraud involving SoftQuad and other penny stocks. Court records state
In 2004, two men caught in the Bermuda Short sting pleaded guilty to stock fraud involving SoftQuad and other penny stocks. Court records state
that Paul D. Lemmon and Mark Valentine "conspired to unjustly enrich
that Paul D. Lemmon and Mark Valentine "conspired to unjustly enrich
themselves by defrauding a fictitious foreign mutual fund (the “Fund”) through paying undisclosed
themselves by defrauding a fictitious foreign mutual fund (the “Fund”) through paying undisclosed
payoffs and kickbacks to brokers in exchange for causing the Fund to purchase large amounts of
payoffs and kickbacks to brokers in exchange for causing the Fund to purchase large amounts of overpriced C-Me-Run, SoftQuad and JagNotes stocks."
overpriced C-Me-Run, SoftQuad and JagNotes stocks."


==XMetaL==
==XMetaL==
[[XMetaL]] was one of the first XML authoring products and has remained popular for almost a decade. Unlike tools like the popular XML Spy, XMetaL used a word processor metaphor and was designed to be used by writers and not programmers.
[[XMetaL]] was one of the first XML authoring products and has remained popular for almost a decade. Unlike tools like the popular XML Spy, XMetaL used a word processor metaphor and was designed to be used by writers and not programmers.


Along with Cisco<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/12-11-2001/0001631285&EDATE= |title=SoftQuad Simplifies Enterprise Adoption of XML With XMetaL 3 |publisher=Prnewswire.com |date=December 11, 2001 |accessdate=2013-09-21}}</ref> and Hewlett-Packard,<ref>{{cite web|author=Doug Henschen |url=http://www.intelligententerprise.com/channels/content_management/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=165701667 |title=In Focus: Up Close With HP's Content Management Guru - Software |publisher=Intelligententerprise.com |date=2005-07-12 |accessdate=2013-09-21}}</ref> Microsoft was an early site-license customer for XMetaL<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.canadait.com/cfm/index.cfm?It=106&Id=6100&Se=2&Lo=2 |archive-url=https://archive.is/20041111033137/http://www.canadait.com/cfm/index.cfm?It=106&Id=6100&Se=2&Lo=2 |dead-url=yes |archive-date=November 11, 2004 |title=SoftQuad reports fiscal 2001 first quarter financial results |type=Press release |publisher=Canada IT |date=February 15, 2001 |accessdate=2013-09-21}}</ref> and according to public reports, still uses XMetaL widely.
Along with Cisco<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/12-11-2001/0001631285&EDATE= |title=SoftQuad Simplifies Enterprise Adoption of XML With XMetaL 3 |website=Prnewswire.com |date=December 11, 2001 |access-date=2013-09-21}}</ref> and Hewlett-Packard,<ref>{{cite web|author=Doug Henschen |url=http://www.intelligententerprise.com/channels/content_management/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=165701667 |title=In Focus: Up Close With HP's Content Management Guru - Software |website=Intelligententerprise.com |date=2005-07-12 |access-date=2013-09-21}}</ref> Microsoft was an early site-license customer for XMetaL<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.canadait.com/cfm/index.cfm?It=106&Id=6100&Se=2&Lo=2 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20041111033137/http://www.canadait.com/cfm/index.cfm?It=106&Id=6100&Se=2&Lo=2 |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 11, 2004 |title=SoftQuad reports fiscal 2001 first quarter financial results |type=Press release |publisher=Canada IT |date=February 15, 2001 |access-date=2013-09-21}}</ref> and according to public reports, still uses XMetaL widely.


==Notable SoftQuad employees==
==Notable SoftQuad employees==
Line 102: Line 113:
*Wendy Harrison
*Wendy Harrison
*Ian Darwin
*Ian Darwin
*Laura Creighton
*Pierre Garigue
*David Polk
*Rodney Boyd
*Rodney Boyd
*Donald Teed
*Donald Teed
Line 108: Line 122:


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Reflist}}

;Notes
==Notes==
{{Refbegin}}
*[http://www.faqs.org/faqs/text-faq/ troff text processing FAQ]
*[http://www.faqs.org/faqs/text-faq/ troff text processing FAQ]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060911002108/http://prenhall.com/electronic_publishing/html/chapter9/09_3.html SoftQuad software used in the publication of the SGML Standard]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060911002108/http://prenhall.com/electronic_publishing/html/chapter9/09_3.html SoftQuad software used in the publication of the SGML Standard]
Line 120: Line 134:
*[http://xml.coverpages.org/interleafSQ-19980925.html Interleaf technology acquisition]
*[http://xml.coverpages.org/interleafSQ-19980925.html Interleaf technology acquisition]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20061016025352/http://www.itworld.com/nl/xml_prac/08162001/pf_index.html Corel Buys XML Developer Softquad]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20061016025352/http://www.itworld.com/nl/xml_prac/08162001/pf_index.html Corel Buys XML Developer Softquad]
{{Refend}}


==External links==
==External links==
*[https://archive.is/20121220125412/http://www.valinor.sorcery.net/~liam/pictures/2004/05/misc/pages/cimg0837/ sqtroff product box]
*[https://www.holoweb.net/~liam/pictures/2004-05-misc/pages/cimg0837/ sqtroff product box]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20150924123605/http://www.findarticles.com/p/search?qt=softquad Almost 500 articles on SoftQuad history]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20150924123605/http://www.findarticles.com/p/search?qt=softquad Almost 500 articles on SoftQuad history]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Softquad Software}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Softquad Software}}
[[Category:Defunct software companies]]
[[Category:Defunct software companies of Canada]]
[[Category:Companies based in Toronto]]
[[Category:Companies based in Toronto]]
[[Category:Companies based in Vancouver]]
[[Category:Companies based in Vancouver]]
[[Category:Software companies established in 1984]]
[[Category:Software companies established in 1984]]
[[Category:Software companies disestablished in 2001]]
[[Category:Software companies disestablished in 2001]]
[[Category:2001 mergers and acquisitions]]

Latest revision as of 05:51, 27 June 2024

SoftQuad Software
Company typePublic
IndustrySoftware
Founded1984; 40 years ago (1984) in Toronto
Founders
Defunct2001 (2001)
FateAcquired by Just Systems
ProductsHoTMetaL

SoftQuad Software was a Canadian software company best known for HoTMetaL,[1] the first commercial HTML editor.[2][3][4] It is also known for Author/Editor, the first specialized SGML editor,[5] and Panorama, the first browser plugin for SGML.[6] Panorama demonstrated the need for standardization of SGML on the web,[2] which eventually resulted in the development of the XML specification.[7]

HoTMetaL was one of a series of applications created by SoftQuad for editing, viewing and publishing structured (SGML and XML) content. It was based upon a popular SGML Editor called Author/Editor and has since evolved into XMetaL.

Early history

[edit]

SoftQuad started its life in 1984 as a technology-oriented spin-off of Toronto's Coach House Press.[1][8] Its founders were Yuri Rubinsky, David Slocombe and Stan Bevington.[5][9][10]

SoftQuad was started in order to improve automated typesetting at Toronto's Coach House Press, and for many years developed an enhanced commercial version of the text formatting program troff, developed under license from AT&T, called sqtroff.[5] It was sold with a suite of associated programs, corresponding to AT&T's Documenter's Workbench, under the name SoftQuad Publishing Software (SQPS).[11]

SoftQuad's business headquarters was in Toronto. After SQPS was largely supplanted by Author/Editor as SoftQuad's main product, product development was transitioned to the Vancouver area, retaining the Toronto team as combined professional services and customization development for Author/Editor and its associated software development kit, called "Sculptor". This arrangement arose out of a highly coincidental reunion of Yuri Rubinsky (in Toronto) and his high school friend Peter Sharpe.[12] Peter Sharpe led the development of Author/Editor.[5][13]

By virtue of its early lead and its charismatic leader, Yuri Rubinsky, SoftQuad provided considerable leadership to the nascent SGML community. For example, Yuri Rubinsky was the first president of SGML Open.[14]

Author/Editor

[edit]

Author/Editor appeared on the market in 1988 as the world's first specialized SGML editing application.[5] The first version ran on the Macintosh. Windows and Unix versions followed in 1991. Author/Editor 3.0 was summarized as "a very pure structure editor which validates the document all the time. Documents which have a structure that doesn't comply with their document type definition can be edited by turning rules checking off, which can be helpful when re-arranging documents. The main window is a QUASIWYG representation of text, a structure view and a context view are also available. The structure view shows tags indented, the context view shows paths in the same way. An element list is used to pick up an element to insert. The representation on screen is done with a style editor, which generates style files. The program has many DTD with it, but new DTD's are imported by the RulesBuilder, which converts a DTD to a structure definition required by Author/Editor. There is an English thesaurus and a dictionary for spell checking."[15]

After several versions, Author/Editor was sold with the Panorama suite to Interleaf in September, 1998. At the same time, the Toronto development team, led by David A. Keldsen, joined Interleaf to help focus the company on content management and create new products. By that point, SoftQuad's focus had shifted to its descendants, HoTMetaL and XMetaL. Interleaf did not produce new versions of Author/Editor. Sales were discontinued in 2000.[16]

Author/Editor had sibling products RulesBuilder and Sculptor, the Application Builder. RulesBuilder was used for compiling SGML DTDs to a fully resolved and validated binary form that Author/Editor could consume. Sculptor was used to build customized user interfaces for Author/Editor.[17] ApplicationBuilder used Scheme for its customization language.[18][19] Sculptor is conceptually the ancestor of today's XMetaL Developer.

Panorama

[edit]

Panorama was a multi-platform web browser plugin for SGML content. There was a style editor and support for linking using a mixture of SGML HyTime and TEI Pointers. There was also support for distributed annotations.

Panorama was described as "A browser for SGML texts. The NCSA (National Center for Supercomputer Applications) includes the [free] version of Panorama into its Mosaic delivery. The Mosaic [browser] will launch Panorama when it encounters any other SGML file than an HTML file. Panorama will have a style editor to define the outlook of documents. The commercial version has additional features like the ability to create annotations and customized bookmarks."[20]

SoftQuad goes public

[edit]

In 1992, SoftQuad went public on the Vancouver Stock Exchange through a reverse takeover of BC's "Hatco".[21] In January 1994, SoftQuad was listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange.[22]

HoTMetaL

[edit]

Released in 1994,[23] HoTMetaL was the first commercial HTML authoring product.[2][3][4] SoftQuad was able to beat other products to the market by virtue of the fact that HTML was defined as an application (Document Type Definition) of SGML. By virtue of this strong base and early lead, HoTMetaL became very popular as a tool for creating HTML web sites.[24]

HoTMetaL was initially free, but a commercial version HoTMetaL Pro was soon released. Early versions of HoTMetaL ran on Windows and Unix.[24] HoTMetaL Pro also ran on Macintosh,[25] but by version 5, it was restricted to Windows.[26]

On the basis of HoTMetaL's early success, SoftQuad was able to go public on the NASDAQ stock exchange as SWEBF.[27]

Over time, however, companies like Microsoft and Netscape increasingly saw HTML authoring tools as loss leaders to tempt web developers into their product suites.

In addition, HoTMetaL adhered to the SGML philosophies that dictated that content should adhere to standards and that the structure and presentation of content should be separate. HoTMetaL was excellent at visualizing the structure of the content, and of enforcing the standards. But neither of these were as important to Web designers as "What You See Is What You Get" presentation of the content, which was better provided by products like DreamWeaver and FrontPage.

In September, 1996, SoftQuad released HoTMetaL Intranet Publisher (HiP).[28] HiP was essentially an Intranet Content Management System.

Corporate transitions

[edit]

After Yuri Rubinsky's death in January 1996, SoftQuad went through a variety of transitions.

In November 1996, SoftQuad reported substantial revenue growth but also substantial losses.

In December 1996, SoftQuad acquired Alpha Software, creator of popular desktop database publishing software. Alpha's software was intended to be integrated with SoftQuad's to enable Web-based publishing of database-stored information.

Alpha Software's Richard Rabins was made an Executive Vice President of SoftQuad International Inc. In September, 1997, he became CEO[29] after SoftQuad's losses mounted. The positions of President and Chief Financial Officer were also changed at the same time. Essentially, the Alpha Software team was asked to use its experience in commercial software to turn the struggling company around.[30]

In June 1998, Rabins decided to change the company's direction from markup technologies to a children's game subsidiary (NewKidCo) of SoftQuad International's Alpha software subsidiary.[31]

On October 9, 1998, SoftQuad was delisted from NASDAQ (but not the Toronto Stock Exchange) after falling under the minimum share price guidelines.[32]

On November 10, 1998, SoftQuad International Inc. sold the assets (including trademarks) of SoftQuad Inc. (the structured authoring tools business) to private investors and management. This meant that after the purchase, SoftQuad was a private company again, this time named "SoftQuad Software Ltd." The parent company, SoftQuad International Ltd. was later renamed "NewKidCo" to reflect the fact that they did intended to pursue a different business than the historical SoftQuad and the new SoftQuad Software.[33]

In December 2000, SoftQuad bought Advanced Data Engineering (ADEI), a conversion tools company from Petaluma, California.[34] ADEI employees became the core of SoftQuad's XML consulting business.

In September 2000, SoftQuad released a short-lived product called MarketAgility.[35][36] From a press release of the time: "MarketAgility Enterprise is a server-based solution built on Microsoft SQL Server and is administered through a simple browser interface. It automates the collection, normalization and incremental updating of product information from wherever it resides in an enterprise into an XML-based master catalog."[37]

In January 2001, a former employee of SoftQuad formed a company called Enfolding Systems Corp. That company was acquired by Blast Radius in August 2002[38] and later, as a subsidiary of Blast Radius, acquired the SoftQuad assets from Corel Corp.[39]

In August 2001, SoftQuad Software Ltd. was bought by desktop software vendor Corel[40] for about US$37 million in stock. After the Corel Acquisition, SoftQuad ceased to exist as a company, though many employees remained with the company as part of Corel's XMetaL division in Vancouver.

Subsequently, SoftQuad and most assets of the company were sold to Blast Radius in 2002.

In 2004, Just Systems acquired SoftQuad's remaining assets, including its flagship XMetaL product, from Blast Radius. Today, XMetaL and most other Softquad assets are owned by JustSystems and the core code of XMetaL is maintained by some of the same programmers who worked at various incarnations of SoftQuad.

Controversy

[edit]

In March 2000, SoftQuad merged with American Sports Machine, effectively becoming an OTCBB public company. The new company was quickly renamed SoftQuad Software Ltd. and given the stock symbol SXML.

In late 2000, SoftQuad stock was involved in the Bermuda Short sting. 58 stock brokers and executives were indicted in the case which involved "defrauding the shareholders of C-Me-Run, SoftQuad and JagNotes by artificially inflating the market price of these stocks through illegal means."

In 2004, two men caught in the Bermuda Short sting pleaded guilty to stock fraud involving SoftQuad and other penny stocks. Court records state that Paul D. Lemmon and Mark Valentine "conspired to unjustly enrich themselves by defrauding a fictitious foreign mutual fund (the “Fund”) through paying undisclosed payoffs and kickbacks to brokers in exchange for causing the Fund to purchase large amounts of overpriced C-Me-Run, SoftQuad and JagNotes stocks."

XMetaL

[edit]

XMetaL was one of the first XML authoring products and has remained popular for almost a decade. Unlike tools like the popular XML Spy, XMetaL used a word processor metaphor and was designed to be used by writers and not programmers.

Along with Cisco[41] and Hewlett-Packard,[42] Microsoft was an early site-license customer for XMetaL[43] and according to public reports, still uses XMetaL widely.

Notable SoftQuad employees

[edit]
  • Yuri Rubinsky
  • Peter Sharpe
  • David Slocombe
  • Lauren Wood
  • Michael Fergusson
  • David A. Keldsen
  • Frank Ruffolo
  • James Clark
  • Murray Maloney
  • Liam Quin
  • Farook Wadia
  • Mark Brader
  • Pontus Hedman
  • Wendy Harrison
  • Ian Darwin
  • Laura Creighton
  • Pierre Garigue
  • David Polk
  • Rodney Boyd
  • Donald Teed
  • Bill Clarke
  • Teddy Mihail

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Canadian Dealer News (November 21, 2012). "10 Canadian technology brands that are no more". p. 11. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  2. ^ a b c "People of the W3C". Liam Quin. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
  3. ^ a b Dyer, Russell (April 9, 2003). "The XML.com Interview: Liam Quin". XML.com. O'Reilly Media. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
  4. ^ a b Karat, John; Vanderdonckt, Jean; Abowd, Gregory (January 2008). Web Accessibility : A Foundation for Research. London, UK: Springer. p. 129. OCLC 288468438.
  5. ^ a b c d e Maxwell, John W. "Coach House Press: Crucible of Electronic Publishing Technology". Historical Perspectives on Canadian Publishing. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013.
  6. ^ Green, Karen (May 18, 1995). "NCSA/SOFTQUAD" (Press release). NCSA. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
  7. ^ DeRose, Steven J. (1997). SGML FAQ Book : Understanding the Foundation of HTML and XML. Boston, MA: Springer. pp. 185–186.
  8. ^ Maxwell, John (September 9, 2013). "Coach House #retrotech – An Update for Sept 2013". Publishing @ SFU. Simon Fraser University. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  9. ^ Seybold, Jonathan. "Yuri Rubinsky (1952–1996)". University of Toronto. Archived from the original on February 10, 2002. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  10. ^ "Highlights of 2008 Donations" (PDF). The Halcyon: The Newsletter of the Friends of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library (44). University of Toronto: 11. December 2009. ISSN 0840-5565. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-07-14.
  11. ^ Darwin, Ian (28 July 1988). "SoftQuad Publishing Software Release 2.9". Newsgroup: comp.text. Usenet: 11024@mcdchg.UUCP. Archived from the original on 17 June 2014. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  12. ^ Sharpe, Peter (29–31 January 1996). "SGML: Memory of Yuri Rubinsky (1952–1996)". Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  13. ^ Darwin, Ian F. (1996-01-23). "Tribute to Yuri Rubinsky: SGML and the man". Ian F. Darwin, M.Sc. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  14. ^ Gennusa, Pamela L. (29 January 1996). "In memory of Yuri Rubinsky". SGML: Memory of Yuri Rubinsky (1952–1996). Newsgroup: comp.text.sgml. Usenet: 310D30BE@gateway.dpsl.co.uk. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  15. ^ "Kuopio Technical Report on SGML - A-E". Oasis-open.org. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  16. ^ Cooper, Amy (2000-05-30). "EAD Software?". Archives & Archivists (Mailing list). Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  17. ^ González, Sean (February 7, 1995). "HTML: Nothing but Net". PC Magazine. 14 (3): 158. ISSN 0888-8507. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  18. ^ Hedman, Pontus (1996-04-17). "Re: The six-line Internet flaming-death server". scsh (Mailing list). Archived from the original on September 25, 2013. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  19. ^ Quin, Liam (15 October 1997). "Re: Prototype OO was Re: Inheritance/defaulting of attributes". xml-dev (Mailing list). Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  20. ^ "Kuopio Technical Report on SGML - N-Z". Oasis-open.org. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  21. ^ [1] [dead link]
  22. ^ "SGML". Xml.coverpages.org. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  23. ^ Darwin, Ian (June 3, 1994). "SoftQuad announces WYSIWYG HTML Editor available for FTP". Newsgroup: comp.text.sgml. Usenet: 1994Jun2.020714.1460@sq.sq.com. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  24. ^ a b "SoftQuad HoTMetaL: Frequently Asked Questions". Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  25. ^ "The First WYSIWYG Editor Shoot-out". Webmonkey. March 30, 1998. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  26. ^ "SoftQuad Introduces HoTMetaL PRO 5.0". Xml.coverpages.org. 1998-09-14. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  27. ^ "Archived copy". www.findarticles.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  28. ^ "Archived copy". www.findarticles.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  29. ^ "Archived copy". www.findarticles.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  30. ^ "Archived copy". www.findarticles.com. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  31. ^ "SoftQuad International Explores Strategic Alternatives for Web Tools Unit - Press Centre". Xml.coverpages.org. 1998-06-10. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  32. ^ "SoftQuad International Inc. NASDAQ Listing Status". Silicon Investor. October 9, 1998. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
  33. ^ "Business Wire: SoftQuad International Inc. Announces Special Meeting of Shareholders". 15 May 2005. Archived from the original on 15 May 2005. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  34. ^ "ENT: So Many Formats, So Utile Time: SoftQuad Buys Converter - Company Business and Marketing". 20 September 2004. Archived from the original on 20 September 2004. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  35. ^ Grant, Heather (25 September 2000). "SoftQuad Announces the Availability of MarketAgility, A Supply-Side Solution for B2B E-commerce An end-to-end XML solution thatgives suppliers total control over their e-market presence". announce@lists.oasis-open.org (Press release). Retrieved June 15, 2014.
  36. ^ "Products". Corel. Archived from the original on October 3, 2003. Retrieved June 15, 2014.
  37. ^ "AC Industrial Chooses SoftQuad MarketAgility Enterprise To Create Customized e-Catalogs From Over 2.3 Million Products" (Press release). Canada IT. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  38. ^ Gravelle, Christine (September 17, 2002). "Blast Radius acquires Enfolding Systems Corp" (Press release). Blast Radius Inc. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  39. ^ Drexhage, Glenn (March 2, 2004). "Blast Radius scoops up division of Corel Corp" (Press Release). Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved June 14, 2014.
  40. ^ James Clark. "James Clark". I was a major investor in and a director of SoftQuad Software before it was acquired by Corel.
  41. ^ "SoftQuad Simplifies Enterprise Adoption of XML With XMetaL 3". Prnewswire.com. December 11, 2001. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  42. ^ Doug Henschen (2005-07-12). "In Focus: Up Close With HP's Content Management Guru - Software". Intelligententerprise.com. Retrieved 2013-09-21.
  43. ^ "SoftQuad reports fiscal 2001 first quarter financial results" (Press release). Canada IT. February 15, 2001. Archived from the original on November 11, 2004. Retrieved 2013-09-21.

Notes

[edit]
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=SoftQuad_Software&oldid=1231230723"