Today′s e-business consists largely of interactive marketplaces and portals which offer services to their customers. Especially in the field of Business-to-Business (hereafter referred as to B2B) commerce vertical and horizontal interoperability between the heterogeneous IT systems and platforms of trading partners are essential for business endeavours in order to automate transactions and to cut costs respectively.
[...]
The intention of this paper is to show how schema languages emerged from the need of interoperability and how they solve many challenges presented by e-commerce requirements. Furthermore the ideas and philosophies behind two significant schemas for XML, the XML Schema and RELAX, are highlighted and contrasted against each other and against the intention of DTDs. The question to be answered is whether XML Schema can compete against alternative schemas in the long run and whether it can still become a widespread standard within the rapidly growing e-commerce environment.
The main part of this paper is divided into four core parts. The first section will give the reader an overview about the current e-commerce needs and requirements, followed by a critically evaluation of DTD (Document Type Definitions) and XML (Extensible Markup Language) as considerable options to attempt meeting the e-businesses requirements presented earlier. The next section will introduce a recent advance in XML technology, the Schema language, whose contribution and utility for e-commerce will be highlighted. In particular XML Schema as the W3C recommendation will be evaluated and critically compared with its significant competitor RELAX in the fourth section. The last part comprises a critically discussion about the schemas′ potential of becoming an enterprise-wide standard for XML document description. The end of this paper constitutes a summary of the results presented and conclusions drawn.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 E-commerce requirements
3 The impact of DTD and XML on Internet commerce
4 The need for schema
5 Evaluation of the XML Schema recommendation
5.1 Schema and schema languages
5.2 XML Schema recommendation
5.3 Contrasting XML Schema against DTDs
6 RELAX as an alternative schema language
6.1 Why alternative schemas were born
6.2 RELAX grammar definition
6.3 The better schema: RELAX versus XML Schema
7 Summary and conclusion
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper examines the evolution of schema languages within the e-commerce sector, focusing on the transition from traditional Document Type Definitions (DTDs) to the W3C's XML Schema recommendation and the emergence of RELAX. The primary research objective is to evaluate whether XML Schema can establish itself as a dominant, widespread standard despite its complexity and the existence of more lightweight alternatives.
- Interoperability challenges in heterogeneous B2B e-commerce environments.
- Critical evaluation of DTD and XML as foundational technologies.
- Technical comparison between XML Schema and RELAX.
- Strategies for businesses navigating schema adoption and implementation risks.
Excerpt from the Book
The need for schema
The third generation of Internet applications is now, with an increasing number of emerging web- and e-commerce based services, although the impact of XML, still loosely-coupled. It is now more than ever important to be able to bridge disparate applications and networks and share information among them. Information in XML received from multiple different trading partners must be validated to fit the local format and business process requirements. Incoming data should enter the corporate databases only if it is in a proper schema. For doing this validation of documents there has to be an agreement on a common XML vocabulary between the applications of business partners that involve the exchange of documents. With schema synchronization the potential for ambiguity and misunderstanding can be decreased significantly as the applications on each side are able to identify, understand and use the information passed to them. Consistent schema semantics enable greater interoperability and integration opportunities for content aggregation and syndication. The absence of such a common schema would mean that content syndication requires the work at a “least-common denominator level of abstraction”. The focus for schemas is therefore an important distinctive feature in this generation of Internet applications compared to earlier ones. Moreover they are essential for “XML’s continued adoption” in enterprises.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Provides an overview of the paper's scope, addressing the need for schema languages to solve interoperability challenges in modern e-commerce.
2 E-commerce requirements: Describes the evolution of Internet applications and the increasing necessity for systems to share data seamlessly across enterprise borders.
3 The impact of DTD and XML on Internet commerce: Analyzes DTDs and XML as the foundational technologies that enabled automated data exchange, while noting their specific limitations.
4 The need for schema: Explains why formal schema definitions are critical for validating business documents and bridging disparate IT systems.
5 Evaluation of the XML Schema recommendation: Critically reviews the features, benefits, and complexities of the W3C XML Schema recommendation compared to DTDs.
6 RELAX as an alternative schema language: Discusses the emergence of RELAX as a lightweight, modular alternative to XML Schema and compares their respective design philosophies.
7 Summary and conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, suggesting that while XML Schema is a powerful long-term solution, RELAX offers a viable, low-risk alternative for short-term implementation.
Keywords
XML, XML Schema, RELAX, DTD, E-commerce, B2B, Interoperability, Schema Languages, Data Validation, Document Description, W3C, Standardization, System Integration, Business Processes, Middleware
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper investigates the role of schema languages in enabling data interoperability between diverse enterprise systems within the context of e-commerce.
Which specific schema languages are analyzed?
The analysis primarily focuses on W3C XML Schema and RELAX, contrasting them with traditional Document Type Definitions (DTDs).
What is the main goal of the study?
The goal is to determine if XML Schema will become a universal standard for e-commerce or if its complexity will hinder adoption in favor of alternative schemas like RELAX.
What research methodology is employed?
The author conducts a comparative evaluation based on technical specifications, design philosophies, and industry readiness to assess the utility of different schema languages.
What does the main body of the paper cover?
It covers the requirements of modern B2B e-commerce, the transition from DTDs to XML, a detailed evaluation of XML Schema, and a critical analysis of RELAX as a competitive alternative.
Which keywords best describe the paper?
Key terms include XML, XML Schema, RELAX, DTD, E-commerce, interoperability, B2B, and standardization.
How does RELAX differ from XML Schema in terms of complexity?
RELAX is described as a more lightweight, modular approach that offers an easier path for integration, whereas XML Schema is viewed as more comprehensive but significantly more complex.
What is the author's conclusion regarding the future of schema standardization?
The author concludes that while XML Schema is likely the long-term direction, its maturity is currently questioned, making RELAX a rational short-term solution for many businesses.
- Citar trabajo
- Thomas Kramer (Autor), 2001, XML Schema or just RELAX?, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1829
