- Authoring Tool:
- Any software that an author may use to create or modify Web content. This
includes software that enables an author to perform any of the following functions:
- Text Editing: Author manipulates plain text data. For
example, markup text , program code, etc. [Example
1]
- Symbol-Level Editing: Author manipulates symbols (not
WYSIWYG renderings) that represent low-level functional groups in the
underlying plain text data. For example, symbols standing for markup elements,
programming code operations, multi-element placeholder, etc. [Example
2]
- WYSIWYG Editing: Author manipulates browser-like renderings
of the underlying plain text data. For example, a markup document displayed
as a Web page. [Example 3]
- Graphics Editing: Author manipulates renderings of
object-oriented graphics (i.e. vector formats as opposed to paint formats).
For example, a drawing program, the stage in an animation tool, etc. [Example
4]
- Content Management: Author exercises control of changes
to Web content across whole documents or groups of documents, rather than
at the level of individual instances of content. For example, Site Creation
Wizards, Site Management Tools, Courseware, Content Aggregators, etc.
[Example 5]
- Constrained Editing: Author makes highly constrained
inputs that are structured and styled according to static templates. For
example, "guest books", message boards, etc. [Example
6]
- Timeline Editing: Author manipulates time-dependent
Web content (e.g. animation, music, etc.) using a user interface that
represents a series of frames. [Example 7]
If an application with a timeline editing function also includes a function
for editing each frame (i.e. a stage), this function will be one of the
five types listed above.
- Format Conversion: Author is assisted in causing Web
content encoded in one format to become encoded in another. For example,
functionality for saving Web content created in one format in a different
format (see below) or importing Web content from one format into a different
format. [Example 8]