transpect

transpect is a framework containing everything needed for conversion and checking of documents and data. transpect allows seamless, fully automated creation of proofs and print-ready PDFs from Word manuscripts, generation of XML and e-books together with extracts from InDesign, and provision of Word files again after type­setting.

Unlike monolithic frameworks, transpect has been designed to be modular from the ground up. Over a hundred different components can be combined into custom workflows, configured at different levels, and integrated into other systems within your company. This flexibility allows diverse products to be realized quickly and efficiently.

transpect is not just suitable for content with a simple structure. From nested index entries with sort key and italicization to complex mathematical and chemical content or drawings in Word, transpect is used in our own production to convert more than 100,000 documents annually.

transpect projects can be configured according to an innovative cascade principle in order to handle various types of publications and define custom parameters for specific publications. The configuration can be adapted at freely selectable levels, such as Imprint, Series, and Work. The settings of higher levels can be selectively overwritten. This architecture keeps the configuration small and easy to maintain.

To prevent errors in the complex processes, transpect performs checks at each conversion stage and lists the results in a clear and comprehensible HTML report. The errors are also displayed in a preview of the original file, sorted according to severity, error group, and error type. This facilitates problem detection, filtering, and correction. It makes unanchored images, incomplete metadata, or e-book data containing errors a thing of the past.

From the customer’s point of view, however, there are considerable risks involved in choosing a particular software product. Will the manufacturer still exist in five years' time? Will the manufacturer continue to develop the product? Can other providers service the installation? Is it possible to have the suitability of the product independently verified?

To avoid these risks, we have published transpect as Open Source software. The source code and documentation are freely available on the web and thanks to the BSD license, anyone is free to copy, modify, and distribute transpect—even in commercial closed source products. However, customer-specific settings remain protected and are not published as Open Source. There are also no license restrictions if transpect is used together with, or within, third-party software.

Another aspect of the openness of transpect is its use of web-based interfaces that allow the individual components to be controlled by other applications and with your own web browser. This means that the print PDF can be created rapidly in the online editor using transpect, or images for the EPUB conversion downloaded from the digital asset management system.

transpect is based strictly on open and established standards maintained by independent bodies. The use of open standards leads to many positive network effects, e.g. saving expenses for custom modifications. Furthermore, more service providers worldwide are already proficient in the standard. In addition, more third-party software is available and there is a community for exchanging information about, for example, best practises. To this end, we have created the transpect user group. This is a forum for our users to connect, gather information, and play an active role in shaping the further development of transpect.

Since its publication, numerous publishers, institutions, and industry customers have opted for transpect, because of its features and flexibility for developing customer-specific solutions. It not only fulfills our customers' individual requirements, but also enables the creation of completely new products.