deutsche Version
 

SALT Forum Founded for the Development of Embedded Speech Application Language Tags.    

Cisco, Comverse, Intel, Microsoft, Philips, and SpeechWorks have created the SALT Forum as a joint initiative for the development of 'Speech Application Language Tags' to be embedded in other markup languages. The group has announced its commitment "to develop a royalty-free, platform-independent standard that will make possible multimodal and telephony-enabled access to information, applications and Web services from PCs, telephones, tablet PCs and wireless personal digital assistants (PDAs). SALT is a lightweight set of XML elements that enhance existing markup languages with a speech interface. SALT will thus extend existing markup languages such as HTML, xHTML and XML. Multimodal access will enable users to interact with an application in a variety of ways: They will be able to input data using speech and/or a keyboard, keypad, mouse or stylus, and produce data as synthesized speech, audio, plain text, motion video and/or graphics. Each of these modes could be used independently or concurrently. Because SALT is independent of the underlying platform, developers will be able to add a speech interface to applications, making them accessible from telephones or other GUI-based devices. The forum founders expect to make the specification publicly available in the first quarter of 2002 and to submit it to a standards body by midyear [2002]." [Full context]

Microsoft Releases New XML Web Services Specifications for a Global XML Web Services Architecture.    Microsoft Corporation has published a new architectural model for the next generation of XML Web services together with four specifications supporting that architecture. This Global XML Web Services Architecture "provides a set of principles and guidelines for advancing the protocols and file formats of today's XML Web services to more complex and sophisticated tasks. The four specifications build on XML Web services technologies such as XML, SOAP, WSDL, and UDDI specifications, extending them for global-class computing. The new specifications adhere to the road map outlined by Microsoft and IBM Corp. at the W3C Web Services Workshop in April 2001 and represent a first step toward a comprehensive Global XML Web Services Architecture. (1) WS-Security outlines how to use the W3C specifications XML Signature and XML Encryption; (2) WS-License, along with WS-Security, outlines how existing digital credentials and their associated trust semantics can be securely associated with SOAP messages; (3) WS-Routing describes how to place message addresses in the SOAP message header and enables SOAP messages to travel serially to multiple destinations along a message path [formerly SOAP-RP]; (4) WS-Referral enables the routing between SOAP nodes on a message path to be dynamically configured. As with previous XML Web services specifications, these four will be available for a review period and then submitted to appropriate standards bodies." [Full context]

W3C Working Draft for Voice Extensible Markup Language (VoiceXML) Version 2.0.    W3C has announced the first release of a public working draft for Voice Extensible Markup Language (VoiceXML) Version 2.0, along with a joint statement on collaborative effort between W3C and the VoiceXML Forum. The new draft is part of the W3C Voice Browser Activity and forms part of the proposals for the W3C Speech Interface Framework. The WD "specifies VoiceXML (Voice Extensible Markup Language) which is designed for creating audio dialogs that feature synthesized speech, digitized audio, recognition of spoken and DTMF key input, recording of spoken input, telephony, and mixed-initiative conversations. Its major goal is to bring the advantages of web-based development and content delivery to interactive voice response applications. VoiceXML is a markup language that: (1) Minimizes client/server interactions by specifying multiple interactions per document. (2) Shields application authors from low-level, and platform-specific details. (3) Separates user interaction code [in VoiceXML] from service logic [CGI scripts]. (4) Promotes service portability across implementation platforms. VoiceXML is a common language for content providers, tool providers, and platform providers. (5) Is easy to use for simple interactions, and yet provides language features to support complex dialogs." According to a Memorandum of Understanding describing collaboration between the VoiceXML Forum and W3C, "VoiceXML Forum and the W3C have determined that it is in the best interests of the respective organizations and the public that they work together to further develop a dialog markup language... VoiceXML Forum will file an express abandonment of [certain relevant ] U.S. trademark applications, and [during the five-year period] the VoiceXML Forum agrees that the W3C will have sole control of the definition and evolution of the dialog markup language based on the VoiceXML 1.0 that is under development by the W3C Voice Browser Working Group." [Full context]

OASIS to Develop Interactive Web Applications Standard Through a Web Services Component Model (WSCM).    

OASIS has announced the formation of a new Web Services Component Model technical committee organized to create an XML and web services centric component model for interactive web applications. The TC activity "is focused upon two main goals: to enable businesses to distribute web applications through multiple revenue channels, and to enable new services or applications to be created by leveraging existing applications across the Web. The Web Services Component Model (WSCM) will provide a coordinated set of XML vocabularies and Web services interfaces that allow companies to deliver Web applications to end users through a variety of channels -- directly to a browser, indirectly through a portal or embedded into a third party Web application. With WSCM, companies will be free to syndicate their applications across different portals and Web site platforms without being limited by proprietary products. They will be able to dynamically share Web services without the time and labor of creating multiple vendor-specific connectors written to different Web languages such as Java, COM/.Net and Perl. The OASIS WSCM TC will consider contributions of related work from other groups and companies: (1) The Web Services User Interface (WSUI), an initiative proposed by a working group of software providers earlier this year, plans to submit their specification to the new OASIS technical committee; (2) IBM intends to contribute Web Services Experience Language (WSXL), a Web services-centric component model for interactive Web applications, as work to be considered in the WSCM TC. Initial members of the WSCM Technical Committee, chaired by Charles Wiecha of IBM, include Cyclone Commerce, DataChannel, Documentum, Epicentric, Hewlett-Packard Company, IBM, Logistics Management Institute, Macromedia, Sterling Commerce, U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), along with other OASIS Contributors and Individual members." [Full context]

UK Ordnance Survey's Digital National Framework (DNF) Tests XML Schemas for Geographical Information.    

Through its XML Schema Repository, the UK Digital National Framework (DNF) has released a number of draft XML schemas supporting the Ordnance Survey's geographical database. The schemas are based upon extensions to the GML version 2.0 specification. The draft DNF Release 1 product data specification includes XML schema documents, a specification overview, classification and attributes of DNF features, DNF themes, lifecycles of DNF features, DNF geometry and topology, DNF data in GML, and a DNF glossary. The DNF application schemas "define four main types of properties that are present inside a feature element. These are simple, complex, geometric, and topological properties. The ordering of properties within a feature element is important as XML validation is reliant on elements being in a specified order; the order of properties is specified within the XML schema." The Digital National Framework (DNF) "is a definitive, consistent and maintained framework for the referencing of geographical information in Great Britain. It comprises the [UK] National Grid linked to Global Positioning System (GPS), height data, detailed topographic information and unique identifiers on features. Key elements are: (1) Polygons: the building blocks of the data representing real world features; (2) Maintained topographic identifiers (TOIDs) on all features -- some 400 million self-contained individual objects; (3) Seamless data; (4) A themed classification based on the real world; (5) Availability of data by themes; (6) Metadata on each feature..." [Full context]

Last Call Working Drafts from W3C XML Encryption Working Group.    

A posting from Joseph Reagle (W3C XML Encryption Chair) announces the publication of 'last call' working draft specifications from the XML Encryption Working Group. The last call period for the three WDs is 3 weeks, ending on November 9, 2001. From the document abstracts: (1) XML Encryption Requirements lists the design principles, scope, and requirements for the XML Encryption. It includes requirements as they relate to the encryption syntax, data model, format, cryptographic processing, and external requirements and coordination. (2) XML Encryption Syntax and Processing specifies a process for encrypting data and representing the result in XML. The data may be arbitrary data (including an XML document), an XML element, or XML element content. The result of encrypting data is an XML Encryption element which contains or references the cipher data. (3) Decryption Transform for XML Signature specifies the 'decryption transform', which enables XML Signatures verification even if both signature and encryption operations are performed on an XML document." [Full context]

New Joint Venture (JV) XML Standards for Reinsurance and Large Commercial Insurance.    

A new suite of documents and files defining the JV XML insurance standards has been announced by ACORD, which assumed responsibility for the JV Standards in July 2001. The release includes "an XML specification that gives general information regarding JV XML as well as details of the structure and makeup of the JV XML data tags, aggregates and messages. A Document Type Definition (DTD) is also included that can be used to validate XML datastreams; there are transaction templates which show the XML streams for each of the JV XML messages. This new version is based on extensive pilot testing of the earlier version 1.0, released in June 2000, by a number of broker and reinsurer organizations in the US, UK and Europe. As a result of the pilots, transaction structures have been simplified, and XML designs optimized so that interfaces to them can be incorporated efficiently into an implementers' internal systems. The new release also includes updates to other implementation documentation, and to the JV interactive Data Dictionary, to fully support the new version of the XML standards." [Full context]

Sun Microsystems Releases Generalized Schema-Related Tools for Validation and Conversion.    

A posting from Kohsuke KAWAGUCHI (Sun Microsystems) announces the availability of an updated version of Sun's Multi-Schema XML Validator (MSV), along with three new schema-related tools. The new Sun XML Instance Generator "is a Java technology tool to generate various XML instances from several kinds of schemas; it supports DTD, RELAX Namespace, RELAX Core, TREX, and a subset of XML Schema Part 1. The RELAX NG Converter is a tool to convert schemas written in various schema languages to their equivalent in RELAX NG. The new Multi-Schema XML Validator Schematron add-on is a Java tool to validate XML documents against RELAX NG schemas annotated with Schematron schemas. By using this tool, you can embed Schematron constraints into RELAX NG schemas, making it easy to write many constraints that are difficult to achieve by RELAX NG alone." [Full context]

OASIS Announces Technical Committee Work to Define a Universal Business Language (UBL).    

OASIS (Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards) has announced a member-initiated Universal Business Language (UBL) Technical Committee formed "to define a common XML business document library. UBL will provide a set of XML building blocks and a framework that will enable trading partners to unambiguously identify and exchange business documents in specific contexts. Uniting disparate efforts underway by companies and standards groups around the world, the OASIS UBL Technical Committee intends to enhance and harmonize overlapping XML business libraries and similar technologies to advance consensus on an international standard. [According to] Jon Bosak of Sun Microsystems, and chair of the OASIS UBL Technical Committee: 'Agreement on a common set of XML business-to-business document standards is essential for successful electronic commerce; our goal in creating UBL is to quickly develop a synthesis of existing XML business libraries using the OASIS open collaborative process.' UBL work will begin with xCBL 3.0 as the starting point and to develop the standard UBL library by mutually agreed-upon changes to xCBL 3.0 based on industry experience with other XML business libraries and with similar technologies such as Electronic Data Interchange." OASIS is a non-profit, international consortium that creates interoperable industry specifications based on public standards such as XML and SGML, as well as others that are related to structured information processing. [Full context]

Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL) Version 1.0 Published as W3C Recommendation.    

The World Wide Web Consortium has announced the release of Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL) Version 1.0 as a W3C Recommendation. The specification represents "cross-industry agreement on an XML-based language that specifies how XML documents may be formatted. It works in concert with XSL Transformations (XSLT), an XML language that performs transformations of structured documents. W3C Recommendation status indicates that a specification is stable, contributes to Web interoperability, and has been reviewed by the W3C Membership, who favor its widespread adoption. XSLT 1.0, the XML language which performs transformations on XML data and documents, has been a W3C Recommendation since November 1999, and already enjoys significant usage in both developer communities and in commercial products. XSL 1.0 builds on XSLT 1.0, and provides users with the ability to describe how XML data and documents are to be formatted. XSL 1.0 does this by defining 'formatting objects,' such as footnotes, headers, columns, and other features common to paged media. Designers would use XSL 1.0 stylesheets to indicate rendering preferences for a type of XML document, including how it is styled, laid out, and paginated onto a presentation medium such as a browser window, a pamphlet, or a book. An XSL engine would take the XML document and the XSL stylesheet, and would produce a rendering of the document. XSLT 1.0 makes it possible to significantly change the original structure of an XML document (automatic generation of tables of contents, cross-references, indexes, etc.), while XSL 1.0 makes complex document formatting possible through the use of formatting objects and properties. As XSL 1.0 is focused on the formatting of paged media, it makes it possible for professional printing capabilities and functions to perform with XML documents today. XSL 1.0 and XSLT make it possible for the needs of Web and print-based media formatting to be met." [Full context]

Vitria Announces Value Chain Markup Language (VCML).    

Vitria Technology has announced the availability of Value Chain Markup Language (VCML) as a new business collaboration standard. Sample XML Schemas, DTDs, and instance documents may be downloaded from the project web site. The Value Chain Markup Language is "a comprehensive set of XML-based, industry-specific vocabularies (defined words and meanings) and documents such as purchase orders, invoices, etc. required to conduct business over the Internet. VCML schemas support over 100,000 pre-built vocabulary structures and over 4,000 pre-built, complete documents. VCML provides a standard set of vocabularies, transactions, elements, and guidelines that power value chain collaboration within and across vertical industries using a common syntax and semantics. VCML supports the North American, European, and Asian direct material procurement standards (including ANSI X12 and EDIFACT transaction sets in all current versions). Support is also included for industry-specific standards including aerospace, automotive, banking and finance, education, energy, government, healthcare, insurance, petrochemical, retail, telecommunication, and transportation industry-specific EDI documents." [Full context]

UML/XML Submissions for the UN/CEFACT eBTWG 'UML to XML Design Rules' Project.    

Several contributions have been made this week to the work of UN/CEFACT's UML2XML Project, whose project team has been meeting to draft requirements for the mapping specification. One of several projects recently approved under the UN/CEFACT Electronic Business Transition Working Group is the UML to XML Design Rules Project. Its goal is "to produce a set of formal syntax production rules, describing in a very detailed and strict way how to convert standardized business messages, which are defined in UMM-compliant UML class diagrams, into physical XML representations." As input to the drafting of requirements, David Frankel submitted the OMG's XMI2 draft specification, recently approved by the OMG Architecture Board. This specification "defines MOF-XML Schema mapping rules, MOF being essentially a subset of the part of UML that supports class modeling." On behalf of SWIFT, Frank Vandamme has submitted the "SWIFTStandards XML Design Rules" document; it "defines in a very detailed and strict way how a physical XML representation is derived from the business message in the UML class diagram." Phil Goatly of Bolero submitted a document "Bolero Document Modeling Conventions" which presents the modeling conventions used by Bolero in phase one of UML to XML conversion (BoleroXML). [Full context]

Logistics.com Announces XML Standards and Logistics Event Management Architecture for Supply Chain Integration.    

Logistics.com Inc. of Burlington, MA. has announced the availability of a collection of LEMA standards in its 'Logistics Event Management Architecture' which enable shippers and carriers to buy, sell, manage and optimize transportation services over land, air and ocean. The company has developed LEMA as an open, standards-based and user-driven architecture to empower a more seamless flow of information among supply chain and logistics community members as well as adjacent industry participants such as providers of information technology and services. LEMA has three primary benefits: intra- and inter-enterprise application integration, free flow of information, and the reduction of cycle time in processing logistics events such as simultaneous offer and acceptance of shipment moves. Logistics.com developed TransportationXML (tXML) in conjunction with customers to enable standard application integration among all members of a logistics chain as well as intra-enterprise requirements between legacy and new systems. Logistics chain members include shippers, carriers, consignees, suppliers, third-party logistics providers (3PLs) and other vendors. The backbone of LEMA is its message bus, which seamlessly integrates with over 70 distinct external business protocols such as EDI, HTTP, SOAP, XML/RPC and XML over the web. This standardization dramatically reduces the cost and risk of intra- and inter-enterprise application integration and enables the free flow of information versus custom integration. One immediate benefit of LEMA adoption is the elimination of high initial set-up fees and on-going interface maintenance fees associated with each interface between enterprises or applications. Transactional tXML most closely mimics today's business processes provided for in current transportation technology: shipments, orders, payments and tracking messages make up the list of transactional messages. Being a superset of the existing EDI documents, the tXML is fully backwards compatible with their EDI counterparts. However, transactional tXML provides additional context during processing and content flexibility. Logistics.com's LEMA standards are available to its customers and any other company wishing to reap the benefits of an open and standard business platform. The company is now seeking to expand LEMA participation through the endorsement of the standards bodies." [Full context]

OASIS Technical Committee Proposed for Provisioning Services (PSTC).    

A new OASIS technical committee for Provisioning Services has been proposed by company representatives from Access360, Business Layers, Jamcracker, Novell, Oblix, OpenNetwork, Sena Consulting, Thor Technologies, VeriSign, and Waveset. The purpose of the proposed OASIS Provisioning Services Technical Committee (PSTC) is "to define an XML-based framework for exchanging user, resource, and service provisioning information. The TC will develop an end-to-end, open, provisioning specification developed from existing provisioning specifications which are of public knowledge, accessible, and freely distributed. [Specifically,] the work proposes to take into consideration the Active Digital Profile (ADPr), the Extensible Resource Provisioning Management (XRPM), and the Information Technology Markup Language (ITML) Provisioning specifications, along with any other relevant and timely submissions. The PSTC will produce a set of one or more Committee Specifications that will cover use cases and requirements, information model, protocol(s), bindings, and conformance; all of the aforementioned are to be examined with respect to security considerations. The goal [subject to revision] is to submit a Committee Specification to the OASIS membership for its approval by September 2002." [Full context]

TV-Anytime Forum Publishes Metadata Specification for Network Broadcast Content.    

The global TV-Anytime Forum is an association of approximately 146 member organizations which seeks to develop specifications to enable audio-visual and other services based on mass-market high volume digital storage in consumer platforms. The Forum has recently published a version 1.1 Metadata specification to accompany its Content Referencing and System Description specifications, together with XML Schemas and data dictionaries. The TV-Anytime Forum is "developing open specifications for interoperable and integrated systems to allow broadcasters and other service providers, consumer electronics manufacturers, content creators and telecommunications companies to maximise effective use of high-capacity digital storage in consumer devices." Metadata types defined by the specification include: (1) Content Description Metadata, which describes content independently of any particular instantiation of that content; (2) Instance Description Metadata, used for linking content metadata to content; (3) Consumer metadata, "modeled as description schemes for describing usage history information gathered over extended periods of time"; (4) Segmentation metadata, "which supports the ability to define, access and manipulate temporal intervals (i.e., segments) within an AV stream. For the purpose of interoperability, the TV-Anytime Forum has adopted XML as the common representation format for metadata. XML offers many advantages: it allows for extensibility, supports the separation of data from the application, and is widely used. TV-Anytime uses the MPEG-7 Description Definition Language (DDL) to describe metadata structure as well as the XML encoding of metadata. DDL itself is [2001-08] based on XML schema 'W3C Proposed Recommendation'; the MPEG-7 data types and description schemes in the TVA Metadata Specification are currently taken from the MPEG-7 MDS Final Committee Draft (FCD)." [Full context]

OpenTravel Alliance Releases Version 2001A Combined Specification for Hospitality and Travel Industries.    

The OpenTravel Alliance (OTA) has released today Version 2001A of its specification, complete with XML DTDs, W3C XML Schemas, and supporting prose documentation. The XML-based OTA specification provides for the exchange of messages in the travel industry, covering airlines, car rentals, hotels, and other travel services. Part I "describes the base technical architecture used by the OpenTravel Alliance for message exchanges, including transport protocols, identification and connections to trading partners, security and privacy, and infrastructure required to identify the message content and route it to the proper application handler. Part II addresses the travel business content and exchanges of a customer profile, and identifies relevant message sets. Merging the OTA and Hospitality Industry Technology Integration Standards (HITIS) respective customer profiles, the OTA unites the requirements of both hospitality and travel industries into one comprehensive specification. Unifying a historically fractured process, OTA converges and capitalizes on the communication process between the players in this industry by harnessing the power behind Extensible Markup Language (XML). OTA Version 2001A enhances the use of World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) XML schemas and adopts a portion of the messaging structure developed by the ebXML Transport, Routing and Packaging project team. In the coming months, OTA will complete work on two specifications, supporting such cross-industry norms as the ebXML infrastructure and SOAP messaging. Additionally, OTA will release for public review in spring 2002 a specification that will become the foundation for all future messaging in the travel industry." [Full context]

TopicMaps.Org Consortium Continues Development Efforts within OASIS.    

A posting from Carol Geyer announces the decision of the TopicMaps.Org consortium to continue development of XML Topics Maps (XTM) specifications within the OASIS Technical Process. Eric Freese, Chair of TopicMaps.Org, previously announced a decision by the group to become an OASIS Member section. Topic maps (ISO/IEC 13250:2000) are designed to "provide a knowledge layer -- independent of the information resources themselves -- to capture and manage corporate memory, improve indexing, and enable the integration of information that spans multiple, disparate repositories. Applications include the semantic web, distributed ontologies, business processes, workflow, search and retrieval tools, knowledge management, diplomatic communication, cultural dialogue and various other disciplines and functions." One OASIS XTM technical comittee has already been formed (Topic Maps Published Subjects Technical Committee) and others are in the process of formation. According to Steven R. Newcomb, one of the three co-editors of the ISO Topic Maps: "Topic Maps offers a simple and extraordinarily scalable way to control 'infoglut' and amalgamate sets of knowledge-bearing assertions from disparate sources." [Full context]

Advanced Distributed Learning Co-Laboratory Publishes Updated SCORM E-Learning Reference Model.    

The Advanced Distributed Learning Co-Laboratory has announced a version 1.2 release of the Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM). The SCORM reference model with its XML bindings "defines a Web-based learning 'content aggregation model' and a 'runtime environment' for learning objects, providing a bridge from general emerging technologies to commercial implementations. At its simplest, SCORM is a model that references a set of interrelated technical specifications and guidelines designed to meet the US Department of Defense's high level requirements for web-based learning content, supporting content reusability, accessibility, durability, and interoperability. The goal is to leverage existing practices, promote the use of technology-based learning, and provide a sound economic basis for investment. SCORM originated as a program for information technologies designed to modernize education and training, and to provide cooperation between government, academia, and business through developmenet of e-learning standardization." The model has been developed in cooperation with several e-learning partners, including ARIADNE (Alliance of Remote Instructional Authoring and Distribution Networks for Europe), the Aviation Industry Computer-Based Training [CBT] Committee, the IMS Global Learning Consortium, and the IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee. The version 1.2 release of CSORM "adds the ability to package instructional material and meta-data for import and export. These XML-based specifications provide a crucial link between learning content repositories and learning management systems. The new SCORM version incorporates the IMS Global Learning Consortium's Content Packaging Specification and expands it to include additional course structure capabilities." [Full context]

Chemical Industry Data Exchange (CIDX) Publishes Enhanced Chem eStandards Specification.    

The Chemical Industry Data Exchange (CIDX) has announced a public release of new business-transaction DTDs supporting the chemical marketplaces and service providers. Chem eStandards are "uniform standards of data exchange developed specifically for the buying, selling and delivery of chemicals; they are based on the 'gold standard' for electronic data exchange, Extensible Mark-Up Language (XML). Chem eStandards are open, platform-independent, uniform and available free of charge." The new version 2.0.2 sub-release "provides upgrades to the existing 47 business transactions first published as version 2.0 on March 1, 2001 and incorporates over 150 requests for functional enhancements made by chemical industry implementers. Seven new business transactions will be made available to CIDX member companies for pilot testing in November. The new transactions developed include: certificate of analysis, report of testing results, invoice response, shipment status request, shipment instructions, price and availability request, and price and availability response. The next major release of the Chem eStandards is planned for the spring. Version 3.0 will upgrade all of the documentation from version 2.0, supporting the 54 business transactions that will exist at that time. This major release may also introduce support for XML Schemas as well as Document Type Definitions (DTDs). In general, CIDX will publish major releases in which supporting documentation is provided annually, with the potential for semi-annual publication if there is an industry need to do so." [Full context]

go to the Cover ARCHIVE

More Information on Robin Cover's XML pages at  xml.coverpages.org

IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING CONTENT OF LINKED WEB SITES