By way of introduction

Why so much interest ?

It is undoubtedly the shared intuition of the possible impact of the XML technology which rise so much interest about it. As well as HTML provided the means of a new culture of exchange. XML could be carrying a new culture of co-operation between applications.

Knowledge transmission

"Transmission des connaissances: une solution prometteuse en XML" (Transmission of knowledge: a promising solution in XML), an article by D. Martin (Janvier 1999).

the author notes: "Today the biggest problem is no longer the volume of knowledge or its speed of growth, it is the ability to use and share the knowledge which exists somewhere".

Kindly communicated by Daniel Martin, retired consultant in data-processing strategy ^{Transmission des connaissances}

An anthropological approach

How to designate differently the perspective of Emmanuel Lazinier in a document presented to CAL 1998: "Of the documents which take life, or how XML will transform the way we design and exploit our documents". This article has the merit to open the XML debate from a cultural point of view. The author's angle is interesting, though we do not completely share his considerations, in particular on the concept of immateriality...

Site chez.com, Fench
^{http://www.chez.com/xml/articles/docalifr.htm}

The heart of the debate

XML expectations ?

In an article entitled " XML expectations " (January 1998), Shelley Powers explains: " XML is a language which defines other languages. It has also the capacity to give a structure and a meaning to the information contained in a html document or all other form of data... "

So ! Here a language which would have a special relationship with the meaning...

In conclusion, Shelley Powers writes: " XML is a remarkable complement to the Web and the development of other applications. One of the most complex aspects of the programming is to extract the structure as well as the contents of the documents...

Here is an extract of this article by Shelley Powers, which is no longer available from the publisher.

About the Web

XML was conceived for the Web. If the debate widely overflows this framework, it doesn't seem to relates exclusively to the potentialities of XML. It is also because the Web interface is a today alternative to other business application interfaces.

XML eXtensible Markup Language

A language

XML is a language or, more precisely, a meta language.

Formally: a markup language, made of tags, like HTML.

This is the only similarity with HTML. As Bruce Sharpe clearly explains in an article titled "XML: It's Not Your Father's HTML", the key thing to understand is:

"HTML is about the display of content, XML is about creating, sharing and processing information."

Site webreference.com, English
^{http://www.webreference.com/authoring/languages/xml/}

What else ?

XML provides a format to describe structured information, to handle and exchange data and to communicate between applications.

Introduction to XML

In the first part of an article entitled "A technical introduction to XML" (October 1998), Norman Walsh describes XML like a language for "documents" containing "structured information".

Site xml.com (O'Reilly Associates et Seybold Publications), English
^{http://www.xml.com/xml/pub/98/10/guide0.html}

Structured information ?

Whas does mean the author by "structured information" ?
On one hand, the content - words, graphics ... and, as well, indications on the role which play the various elements of the content.

Document ?

And what does mean "document" here ?
Not only a traditional document - as this page - Norman Walsh quotes in bulk: "vectorial images, electronic transactions, mathematical equations, meta-data object, server API (API stands for Application Programming Interfaces)... and a thousand of other cases of structured information".

Databases

The article by Shelley Powers, already mentioned, starts a debate on databases and comprises an interesting comparison between XML and SQL (SQL stands for Structured Query Language). Of course, the concept of structured information closely relates to the universe of the databases!

Another interesting article "XML Databases" by Wrox Press focus on "how to integrate XML into your current relational data source strategies".(Webreference.com)

The article by Shelley Powers is not available at this time.

Site webreference.com, English
^{http://www.webreference.com/authoring/languages/xml/}

XML / HTML

Bruce Sharpe expresses the key difference extremely clearly: "HTML relates to the display of the contents whereas XML relates to creation, the sharing and the data processing". This matter fits in the Softquad XML resources, which treats with a reasonably technical level of the potentialities of XML for the Web (1998).

Interoperability ?

Right another way of saying "to work together" by aiming at applications. In the same article, extremely well illustrated, Bruce Sharpe declares: "XML is a natural choice for the interoperable formats..."

Site Softquad, Softquad XML resources, English
^{http://www.softquad.com/top_frame.sq?page=resources/content_xml_resources.html}

XML Livre blanc, kindly communicated by Daniel Martin, already quoted ^{xml livre blanc.pdf
(Document in PDF format, 237 Ko. To download it, click on the link with the opposite button of the mouse)}

Toward a cooperative computing

"Toward a cooperative computing" (November 1998) is a quite interesting article. "The whole data processing evolves to the co-operation environment..." This text shows in what the evolution relates to the data processing mission, its technologies and its standards. It analyzes then software architectures for co-operation and the product strategy of few leading players.

Daniel Martin, retired consultant

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