Compared to the large number of HTML editors available in the market today, there are only a few editors out there for XML, and Austria-based Altovas XML Spy is probably one of the best among these.

A reporting tool for database schema. DTM Schema Reporter enables you to document your database sch...

David Moss resolves an iTunes problem, looks into secret folders and Windows file sharing without a central server.

A free XML editor for use in a non-commercial environment

At its heart, you can think of InfoPath as being a forms engine. Drag the item you need onto the page, wire it up to a data source, and you have something akin to Microsoft Access. But that's where the similarities end.

The buzzword in Excel 2003 is XML, best illustrated by the new mapping feature. This lets you map cells, columns and ranges to data held in XML data sources, so you can create Excel workbooks showing data from Web Services or other back-end data stores. The XML data is validated on input into Excel against a custom XML Schema under your control. Excel can also save your work in a native XML workbook format, which keeps any formatting but avoids the proprietary XLS file format. You may also, however, save data as a pure XML data file, leaving any formatting in the template. This XML data file can be put through BizTalk or imported into a back-end database.

With its cosmetically enhanced menus and toolbars, Word 2003 is now smoother and prettier, but the bulk of Microsoft's efforts are hidden under the surface. There are a quite a number of enhancements that will appeal to everyone, but the majority of Word's new features are aimed at the corporate market, with support for XML, Smart documents and IRM (Information Rights Management).

Although there are many free and inexpensive email servers available (such as Sendmail, Mercury Mail and Mail Enable), if you want the full functionality of Outlook such as calendaring, scheduling and fax integration, you need Microsoft Exchange Server 2000.

It was touted as the next big thing from Microsoft. But is Microsoft’s storage strategy in tatters?

Browsing, retrieval and manipulation tool

A collection of powerful database management tools. This collection of SQL-oriented tools allows un...

A compelling professional XML editor for Windows.

Microsoft finally recognises that web authoring needs a standards-compliant tool, albeit on its own terms.

It has been over two years since we previewed Office XP, but Microsoft has finally given us a glimpse of Office 2003. The finished version should be on the shelves by the end of July, but will it be worth the upgrade? The answer could be an emphatic 'yes' if you're a Tablet PC user, as Microsoft has just launched OneNote (see page 59), making full use of electronic ink. The company is also introducing InfoPath (see page 59) for designing electronic forms, with the flexibility of XML. The classic apps have also had their seen refurbishment, with Outlook (page 56) getting the most attention, and FrontPage and Publisher (page 58) a bit of a revamp.

Welcome enhancements in all areas mean there’s something for everyone – even database novices

You can be proud of an interface you developed, but this is taking it too far.

Microsoft prepares to march into Adobe territory with its forthcoming suite of graphics and web development software.

Our pick of the low-cost office suites has had a much-needed overhaul, and now battles Microsoft in terms of features, not just price.