XML – I’ve never meta language like it

It has been well over a year since I first wrote about XML. Back then it was simply a data formatting language. Today it is evolving into the lingua franca of e-business.  This article explores XML and its accessory buzzwords.

What is it?

XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is a language that is used to define data structures. It can be thought of as a form definition language. By form, I mean for example a driving licence application form. Today this form is paper based and is usually processed by a human, which is both time consuming an error prone. With XML you can create an identical electronic form, which can be processed by a computer. XML allows you to define the fields of the form, eg. <Full name>, <postcode>, <age>.

What is more, XML places no restrictions on the type of fields you invent. That’s the extensible part! So there is no reason why your form cannot be extended to include <favourite car colour> and <zodiac sign>. Such flexibility makes XML the perfect starting point to create one’s own language. In this case I could call it DLML – Driving Licence Markup Language.

This flexibility gives XML the entitlement to call itself a meta-language.

What’s the fuss?

There are a number of reasons:

Openness – XML is not under the control of a single vendor. It has been created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), which is made up of industry players, but is not controlled by any of them. Thus XML is less likely to seduce us into becoming part of somebody’s revenue agenda.

Interoperability – There are many incompatible systems in existence that lie along various business flow chains. XML can be used as a way of standardising the flow of data between these systems. Thus there is no need to go out and buy single-vendor enterprise wide applications. ERP and CRM players take note.

Such interoperability will make it much easier for companies using disparate technologies to work together. So expect a flurry of joint ventures over the next few years.

Flexibility – XML allows you to define whatever language you like. Be it ECML - Ecclesiastical Crocheting Markup Language or RAML – Real Ale Markup Language, XML will enable like-minded folk to get talking electronically without the need to overhaul their IT systems.

Comparativity – Using XML on the Web, it is now possible to label the data held on web pages such that it is visible to XML reading software (aka bots). Thus if a user wants to get the best price on a Ford Cougar, she can simply send her bot off to gather all the web pages that contain the price of such a car. Having been spared the need to a – trawl the showrooms physically, b – trawl the web manually, she can more or less instantaneously get the best price.

XML is likely to force vendors into a commodity situation. Prices will be much the same wherever you go, ie low, causing vendors to compete in other areas such as quality of service, after sales care etc.

What are the associated buzzwords?

·         Markup – A way of labeling data that describes its characteristics:

·         Formatting – eg. The following data will be displayed in bold

·         Context – eg. The following data is a Postcode.

·         Tag – Another name for a markup.

·         HTML – HyperText Markup Language. This is the standard formatting language for web pages. It can be thought of as a Formatting markup language, whereas XML can be thought of as a Contextual markup language.

·         SGML – Standard Generalised MarkUp Language. This is the original standard for defining how to create a document markup language. It can be thought of as the original markup language of which HTML and XML are descendants.

·         XSL – eXtensible Stylesheet Language. This language is used to enable developers to define how data stored in an XML format will be displayed to the user. Hence for a given set of data, there will be different XSL stylesheets for the different devices on which it will be displayed, eg. PC, PDA, mobile phone.

·         XHTML – eXtensible HTML – It can be thought of as the web page version of XML.

·         SOAP – Simple Object Access Protocol – This enables applications to communicate across the web.

·         SAX – Simple Application Programming Interface for XML – A mechanism for manipulating XML documents

·         DOM – Document Object Model – A not so simple mechanism for manipulating XML documents.

What initiatives are taking place?

Within the Finance sector alone there are:

·         XFRML – Extensible Financial Reporting ML

·         FpML – Financial Product ML

·         FLBC – Formal language for Business Communication

·         IOTP – Internet Open Trading Protocol

·         OTP – Open Trading Protocol

·         PMML – Predictive Model ML

·         FinXML – XML for Capital Markets

·         SwiftStandards XML – XML for Swift

·         BoleroXML – Trade documentation

Similar activity is taking place across all technology-centric sectors.

What’s the future for XML?

The future looks bright. In one fell swoop we have a vendor independent data structuring language, which addresses the needs of the e-world, both web and elsewhere. It could put a big dent in the revenues generated by the systems integrators and the enterprise application developers. It is sufficiently flexible to cope with existing display technologies, such as PC, TV and PDA. And also for forthcoming display technologies such as ‘head up’ display glasses and virtual reality.

However where it will really make an impression is in comparative shopping on the web. If you sell commodity products/services make sure your site is XMLed (more specifically xHTMLed – see above), otherwise your business will be invisible to comparative shoppers.