RE: REA (was Tags and semantics ( was Dotted Names) )

[Bob Haugen <linkage@interaccess.com>]

John McClure:
>Anyway, it would be reassuring to understand how ebXML plans to implement
>the REA model -- I've had a hard time finding it in the CC spreadsheet or
>other documents to-date -- maybe someone could give me a pointer to that?

REA is included in the UN/CEFACT UMM Metamodel, which is the
business process modeling methodology mandated by the ebXML
Technical Architecture if you are going to do UML modeling.

Many people within the ebXML BP group wanted to get REA embedded
in the first version of the ebXML runtime specs, but we ran out of time,
bandwidth, etc. and I think also wanted to keep the required implementation
specs more modest.  More work will be done in followup activities,
to be announced in Vienna.

However, ebXML 'Business Transactions" will still be embedded in
larger chains of activities, as Philip Goatly descibed, and that is
where REA as a business semantic model will be very useful
(in representing the relationships of activities, for example,
order-fulfillment).

The ebXML BP Analysis Overview and Worksheet documents
describe how, although not in a lot of detail.  For more detail,
go to the UMM N090 document.  Those are "supporting documents"
for ebXML, not normative specifications.

>REA is embedded within the DCN's list of 15 resource-types. I have the
>suspicion that the same cannot be said for the 600+ DTDs in xCBL, although I
>haven't looked into it. Should I?

That news about DCN is very interesting; can you point out to me
where to look in the DCN references?

Thanks,
Bob Haugen