Re: XML Schema to the rescue? was RE: XML Gave A War, But Nobody Came

[john_ibbotson@uk.ibm.com]

David,
Let's not confuse syntax with semantics. I agree that XML Schemas give us
an opportunity to start with a small, concise representation and then grow
it. However, that is at the syntax level. For the syntactic descriptions to
be truly interoperable, they need to be semantically consistent amongst the
interoperating applications that will use and generate the XML.

Being a relative newcomer to EDI my observation is that the EDI folks have
started at the semantic side of the equation and defined a semantic
framework for the information that flows between trading partners. This
tends to support the "start large and subset" rather than the XML "start
small and expand" view of the world. But at least there is an underlying
understanding of what is being exchanged at the semantic level.

I agree that XML Schema has many advantages in extensibility of syntax -
but the semantics needs to be extensible as well. One doesn't imply the
other.

John

MQSeries Technical Strategy & Planning,
IBM UK Ltd, Hursley Park,
Winchester, SO21 2JN

Tel: +44 (0)1962 815188
Fax: +44 (0)1962 816898
Notes Id: John Ibbotson/UK/IBM
email: john_ibbotson@uk.ibm.com



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