Still hesitating whether you want to download that new version of IBF? Here is a listing of the new features. You can read the full documentation detailing each of these new features.

The client component in Information Bridge Framework 1.5 has the following new features:

  • Client administration tool:  Information Bridge Settings Manager is a client administration tool that enables administrators to configure settings for the Information Bridge client component and to administer the local metadata cache. This tool has two components: Cache Manager, used to manage the metadata cache, and Configuration Manager, used to set and modify the configuration settings.
  • Hyperlink support: Information Bridge Framework 1.0 supports two types of entry points: smart tags in Word, Excel, and Outlook, and attached schemas in Word. In addition to these two types of entry points, Information Bridge Framework 1.5 supports another entry point, hyperlinks, in Microsoft Internet Explorer and Office applications, such as Word, Excel, InfoPath and Outlook. The syntax for the hyperlink is ibf://[pointer to Metadata]. In this syntax, ibf: is the protocol handler. This protocol handler is similar to the HTTP protocol, except that it is invoked only when you click a hyperlink that starts with ibf:. After you click this kind of hyperlink, contextual information appears in the Information Bridge information window.
  • Internet Explorer support: Information Bridge Framework 1.5 uses Internet Explorer to host supported hyperlinks. When you click an appropriate hyperlink, Internet Explorer uses the Explorer bar as the information window. By using Internet Explorer with Information Bridge, you can view data from more than one LOB application in one interface.
  • Generic smart tag recognizer and handler: A smart tag is a string with type information attached to it. It is embedded in Microsoft Office documents, such as Word, Excel, and Outlook. A recognizer identifies keywords or regular expression patterns in user content and associates these keywords and patterns with XML code, called a smart tag, in a document. In Information Bridge Framework 1.0, smart tags are deployed to each client computer and registered separately. Information Bridge Framework 1.5 installs a generic recognizer on the client computer. This enables solution developers to specify any number of recognizers in metadata without registering each recognizer in each client computer.
  • Normalized reference:  The normalized reference enables you to reference data in a standard way in a document. When inserting a reference from the Reference pane, Information Bridge Framework 1.5 takes this reference, converts it to a normalized reference, and inserts it. This helps to ensure privacy and security of data. It also enables the removal of redundant and stale data.
  • Non-collapsible region: Information Bridge Framework 1.5 provides an optional non-collapsible property for each region of the information window. This option removes the title and menu from the region and is available for any region on the Reference, Search, and Solution panes. This feature enables independent software vendors (ISVs) to add a custom branding region and to provide solution developers the added option to have a non-collapsible, non-titled region.
  • InfoPath 2003 forms support:  Information Bridge Framework 1.5 enables users of InfoPath forms to access data dynamically in the information window. It provides a default implementation of a context based on user's selection. Solution developers can specify if this context is flat or hierarchical. Flat context tracking displays information specific to the XML node location of the insertion point in the InfoPath form. Hierarchical context tracking displays information based on a tree of XML nodes rather than a single node.

The Metadata Designer tool for version 1.5 has been enhanced with new features to make it easier to develop metadata. Information Bridge Metadata Designer 1.5 has the following new features:

  • Enhanced User Interface:  The Information Bridge Metadata Designer offers new wizards, a metadata guidance window, and new and enhanced dialog boxes that help in the development of metadata.
    • Wizards:  New wizards help solution developers create regions, menu items, search implementations, and service metadata, such as entities and views. 
    • Metadata Guidance window:  This window offers access to documentation, wizards, and dialog boxes that help solution developers create an Information Bridge solution. They can also add their own custom wizards to the Metadata Guidance window to make developing metadata easier. 
    • New and enhanced dialog boxes:  Solution developers can use dialog boxes to add metadata scopes, entities, and view locators. They can also use dialog boxes to edit artifact properties. 
  • Integration with BizTalk Mapper: Solution developers can use Microsoft BizTalk® Mapper to create and edit maps to translate messages from one format to another, such as translating a flat file to an XML file. BizTalk Mapper in the Information Bridge Metadata Designer tool makes creating XSL transformations between schemas easier. 
  • Debugging support:  Information Bridge Framework 1.5 enables solution developers to debug metadata in Microsoft Visual Studio® .NET by stepping through the metadata and setting breakpoints. 
  • Importing metadata: New options have been added that enable solution developers to import metadata from an XML file, Web service, or .NET assembly. 
  • Ability to sign metadata XML files: To secure the published Information Bridge metadata XML file, solution developers can use the Metadata Designer tool to sign the file with a trusted certificate.

Read more on all of this in the Solution Developers Guide in the resource kit.