Background texture

Flowbite refreshed design

Unified XML workflows for DOCX, PDF, EPUB, and the Web

XML-Director connects Word manuscripts, Plone, XML databases, and high-quality print output through a single Flowbite-powered interface. Convert DOCX to XML, manage versions, and deliver precise layouts without vendor lock-in.

Download & Install Developer docs Talk to us
Formats synchronized
DOCX ↔ XML
PDF renderers supported
4+
Storage connectors
7

Why teams switch

Single-source publishing with Flowbite polish

  • Through-the-web configuration of content types, workflows, and validation rules.
  • Round-tripping DOCX ↔ XML powered by the C-REX conversion service.
  • High-quality PDF layouts using PDFreactor, PrinceXML, Antennahouse, or Vivliostyle.
  • Connect Plone to BaseX, eXist-db, OwnCloud, Dropbox, S3, and local storage.

"XML-Director shrank our publishing cycle from weeks to hours without compromising print quality."

— XML-Director customer feedback

Works with Plone BaseX eXist-db XML-Director icon

Overview

Keep every step of your XML production pipeline visible.

XML-Director provides a unified, Flowbite-styled interface for technical documentation teams, guideline authors, laboratories, and publishers who demand a predictable XML workflow.

  • Conversion of DOCX → XML → DOCX with full round-tripping for approved templates.
  • Publish XML content as HTML, PDF, and EPUB with consistent branding.
  • Distribute generated assets to the web, print, or regulatory portals.
  • Track versions, approvals, and QA feedback directly inside Plone.

Popular use cases

Fiction, manuals, SOPs, quality documentation, and technical literature all benefit from the same workflow.

Unified workflow

Manuscript → XML → Publish

Upload manuscripts, convert them to XML, run validation, generate PDF & EPUB, and publish across channels from a single dashboard.

Unified workflow diagram

Feature Highlights

Flowbite cards that map directly to your publishing workflow.

Every capability from the classic XML-Director site is still here, now refreshed with Tailwind + Flowbite components.

DOCX to XML

DOCX ↔ XML conversion

Convert Word manuscripts to Docbook or DITA, validate them, publish HTML previews, and regenerate DOCX through the C-REX-powered round trip.

XML workflows

XML publication workflows

Manage uploads, conversions, QA gates, and distribution with role-based permissions and workflow definitions tailored per content type.

PDF layouts

High quality PDF layouts

Drive PDFreactor, PrinceXML, Antennahouse, or Vivliostyle with CSS, XSL-FO, or hybrid styling to deliver press-ready output that matches your brand.

Workflow

From manuscript to web and print.

Flowbite's timeline component visualizes the actual XML-Director pipeline.

  1. Upload & prepare content

    Drag DOCX manuscripts or XML collections into Plone, assign metadata, and pick the right workflow template.

  2. Convert & validate

    C-REX, LibreOffice/unoconv, and custom converters map content to Docbook, DITA, or bespoke schemas while Schematron, Relax NG, XML Schema, and DTD validation guard quality.

  3. Publish

    Use XSLT pipelines plus CSS Paged Media to produce responsive HTML, EPUB, or high-end PDFs and push them to BaseX, eXist-db, OwnCloud, Dropbox, Amazon S3, or local storage.

  4. Distribute & iterate

    Trigger social posts, update documentation portals, or send regulatory packages; every change stays versioned and auditable.

Capability matrix

What ships out of the box

The classic feature matrix is distilled into easy-to-scan Flowbite cards.

Validation engines

  • ✔ Schematron
  • ✔ Relax NG
  • ✔ XML Schema
  • ✔ DTD

Transformations

  • ✔ XSLT 1 / XSLT 3
  • ✔ Python processors
  • ✔ Multi-step pipelines
  • ✔ REST hooks for custom converters

Storage connectors

  • ✔ BaseX ≥ 8.2
  • ✔ eXist-db ≥ 2.2
  • ✔ OwnCloud, Alfresco, Dropbox
  • ✔ Amazon S3 & local filesystem
  • ○ Google Drive (planned)

Platform extras

  • ✔ Through-the-web content types
  • ✔ Programmatic content types
  • ✔ Social media integration (Twitter, Facebook)
  • ✔ Workflows per content type & granular security
  • ✔ Shared locks, REST API, planned exclusive locks

Media & demos

See XML-Director in action

Screenshots and screencasts show how Flowbite styling modernizes the original UI.

Plone UI
Plone-based editorial UI with live previews.
Web to print
Web-to-print controls powered by CSS Paged Media.
Use cases
Business use cases for regulated content teams.
Try the Web-to-Print demo · Watch the screencast

References

Trusted publishing partner

ZOPYX has implemented XML-Director and Produce & Publish solutions for customers worldwide.

York College Veit Schiele Communications Locandy DGHO OSHA
See the Produce & Publish showcase

Onkopedia case study (EN) · Fallstudie (DE)

Download & availability

XML-Director 2.0 is ready for production.

Install from PyPI, configure through the web, and benefit from the same production setup already running at multiple customers.

  • Through-the-web configurable XML content types.
  • XSLT registry and validator registry (XML Schema, DTD, Relax NG, Schematron).
  • PDF generation pipelines and DOCX-to-XML conversions.
  • C-REX integration and LibreOffice/OpenOffice conversion options.

Latest release: xmldirector.plonecore on PyPI

Installation docs: How to install · Demo setup

Stay informed

Subscribe to the XML-Director newsletter for release news and tutorial videos.

Past issues live in the newsletter archive.

Developer model

Open, tested, and documented.

XML-Director lives on GitHub under the GPL (v2). We strive for clean code, automated tests, and complete documentation.

Demo & Docker image

Spin up a local instance or explore the hosted demo.

docker run -p 12020:12020 zopyx/xmldirector-plone

Then browse to http://localhost:12020/xml-director and log in with demo / demo.

Hosted demo: demo.xml-director.info

Contribute

Submit pull requests, co-fund features, or share integration components.

Partners & providers

People and technology we collaborate with

Practice Innovation

Germany-based experts for technical documentation, DITA projects, and DOCX↔XML conversions. They provide C-Rex.net as a DOCX conversion web service.

practice-innovation.de · c-rex.net

Ute Mitschke

Consultant and FrameMaker expert supporting enterprise XML migrations across Germany.

ute-mitschke.de

Bookalope

Document analysis and conversion service for ebook, PDF, and InDesign workflows.

bookalope.net

PrinceXML

CSS-based PDF generator used across our high-end publishing projects.

princexml.com

PDFreactor

Primary PDF renderer with robust documentation and JavaScript support.

pdfreactor.com

Antennahouse

High-end typesetting for advanced publications via XSL-FO or CSS.

antennahouse.com

Vivliostyle

CSS Paged Media publishing leveraging modern browser engines.

vivliostyle.com

print-css.rocks

Test lab where we benchmark PDF tools and share results.

print-css.rocks

About XML-Director

Led by Andreas Jung

Andreas has spent two decades delivering publishing and CMS projects across Europe. XML-Director was created to put professional XML tooling within reach—without proprietary lock-in or inflated licensing.

As head of ZOPYX, he's delivered multilingual EU projects, worked with major publishers, and continually evolves XML-Director based on real customer needs.

Andreas Jung

Andreas Jung

Developer & Project lead

Andreas Jung / ZOPYX
Hundskapfklinge 33
72074 Tübingen, Germany
P: +49-7071-793376

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