XML Standards and Tools

(Chapters 3 and 4 of XML Book)

Standards to extend XML

Namespaces Xlink XSL XSLT

XML schema

Prevent overlap of names

Links XML documents Enables flexible output

format Flexible transformation

of XML content

Extends DTD structure and uses XML notation

Namespaces Attempt to solve the “naming collision”

problem of XML elements and attributes “status” in two XML applications could

have different meanings Provides the ability to prefix names with

an owner<acct:status>invoice</acct:status><ful:status>shipped</ful:status> Use reserved XML attribute “xmlns” to

associate a namespace prefix with a namespace name.

XML Linking Language (Xlink) Goal is to create a one-way link from an

XML source document to a target document Beyond simple html links because it allows the

exchange of structured information Ex. Linking an order document to a customer

document– Attach “xlink” namespace to attributes of an element– Can link content from multiple xml docs into one new

xml document Ex of lawyer compiling case info into one xml doc Ex of invoice and shipping data combined in a tracking

doc

eXtensible Stylesheet Language (XSL)

Separates formatting of XML content Can specify font, spacing, etc for elements Can specify different page layout languages

such as html, PDF, RTF, Postscript, etc. Can suppress or enhance different content

for different users– Instructions for particular elements use the “xsl”

namespace– Instructions for formatting output use the “fo”

namespace

XSL example<xsl:template match=“address”> <fo:block fo:font-size=“large” fo:font-weight=“bold” fo:font-family=“Ariel” fo:font-height=“2” <xsl:apply-templates/> </fo:block></xsl:template> Note: xsl is stated using XML syntax Note also: “apply-templates” tells parser to apply same

formatting to all children elements of “Address” element

XSL Transformation (XSLT) A subset of XSL used to transform

one XML document into another XML document with a different format Allows transformation of internal xml

document into competing format of another company’s xml document– Ex of PO– Uses xsl namespace– Selects changed elements and order in new

document

XML Schema

Current DTDs require separate parsing since they are not expressed with XML syntax DTD’s also lack the ability to express

the “data type” of elements and attributes

Very early in development of XML schemas

XML Schema example

<dataType name=“USAState”> <basetype=“string”/> <lexicalRepresentation> <lexical>AA</lexical> </lexicalRepresentation></dataType><elementType name=“State”> <datatypeRef name=“USAState”></elementType>

Writing XML Manually (“by hand”)

Text editor, such as “Notepad” MS freeware “XML Notepad”

Guided by validating editor XML Authority XMetaL XML Spy Perhaps Office XP

Automated Many ERP systems supporting XML Databases can generate XML output Custom applications can be coded

Well-formedness vs. Validity

Well-formedness relates to syntax Can it be parsed at all?

Validity relates to vocabulary Does the well-formed XML document

follow the DTD? XML documents do not have to

follow a vocabulary

Sample Vocabularies(Markup Languages)

Mathematical Markup Language (MathML)

Chemical Markup Language (CML) Wireless Markup Language (WML) Synchronized Multimedia Markup

Language (SMIL) Scalable Vector Graphics Markup

Language (SVG) VoiceXML

Sample Vocabularies(Markup Languages) 2

Bean Markup Language (BML) Extensible 3D (X3D) Bank Internet Payment System (BIPS) Electronic Business XML (ebXML) Visa XML Invoice Specification Commerce XML (cXML) LegalXML

Sample Vocabularies(Markup Languages) 3

Product Data Markup Language (PDML) Financial Products Markup Language

(FpML) XML Metadata Interchange (XMI) Trading Partner Agreement Markup

Language (tpaML) Small to Medium Business XML (SMBXML) Financial Information Exchange Markup

Language (FixML)

XBRL Extensible Business Reporting Language Custom markup language based upon XML

XML for GAAP Being added to accounting and financial

reporting software XBRL-compliant software automatically

and transparently translates numbers and words for viewing of segments in Web browsers, spreadsheets, and in other application software

XBRL 2 Faster distribution of financial

information Eliminate rewrites of financial

reports Faster and better Internet searches

Find desired XBRL-tagged data, not thousands of useless “hits”

Drill down Minimize reentering data

Extensible Electronic Data Interchange (XEDI)

EDI has been around for more than 20 years Obstacles of EDI requires investment in proprietary software

and hardware encodes documents that is only machine

readable XEDI is to enable XML as an alternate

syntax to bring e-commerce to small and mid-sized companies

XML Repositories and Frameworks

Commerce One XML Framework Microsoft’s Biz Talk Framework RosettaNet

Simple Object Access Protocol(SOAP)

XML (text) based RPC calls The solutions for sharing computer programs

in the past - COM, DCOM and CORBA SOAP is designed to be less complex to learn

and deploy on Internet infrastructures SOAP is independent of object model,

operating systems or programming languages

Religious Wars Need awareness that many camps have

been staked out in XML turf Typically fall into two groups

Microsoft– XML dialed into operating system and most

application products Windows is the XML application platform

– XML readily accessible through Visual Basic Not Microsoft

– Many platforms have XML parsing capabilities Various XML application frameworks can be procured

– Most support Java

Enough Already!

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