On Thu, 24 Feb 2000, Bob Haugen wrote:
> Betty Harvey replied:
> >I agree. I am a firm believer that the XML/EDI standardization efforts
> >should be back in the industry standards organizations, ATA, TCIF, RIF, etc.
>
> Do you think a "middle way" is possible here?
>
> Not grandiose projects to model every detail of the whole business universe,
> but two modest and interconnected efforts:
>
> 1. Something like the ebXML Core Components project, to
> define a set of small objects and relationships
> with minimal assumptions that could be used
> to model maybe not all but most business processes;
The core components group of ebXML is going to be really tough.
The real problems aren't going to be technical but are going
to be philosphical. It is really hard to get consensus on
a model or name of a tag within a small company, let alone globally.
What organizations call things is very very personal. I will give
you an example. I recently completed DTDs for the U.S. Code and
Congressional Conference Reports and Committee Reports.
Committee Reports have a section which describes where the
proposed legislation would result in a change in the law. The
Senate calls this section the 'Cordon' and the House of
Representatives calls this section the 'Ramseyer'. The structure
of each is exactly the same. We resolved the problem by creating
a generic element <changes-in-law> which branches to <cordon>
or <ramseyer>.
There some basic barriers that are necessary to overcome:
1. Naming - How are the elements named? It is arrogant to automatically
assume that the tags will be in English. It is difficult to
understand a neutral tag like BSR. Is there are compromise?
Possibly.
I believe that with Architectural Forms (which is still being
debated in the XML community) that we can solve this problem.
XML doesn't have any semantics. Element names are useful
to the human but the computer doesn't care if the element is
named <PurchaseOrder>, <PO> or <George>. With the right
software, it is very easy to have the element <George> be
represented as <PurchaseOrder> without doing transformation.
2. Information models - How is the information modeled? This is
also difficult. I think this is doable at a low level, i.e.,
address, organization, person, etc. When start expanding these
models out, you can run into problems. If you create the model
too tight you are guaranteed problems.
>
> 2. Define skeleton process flows for multi-company collaboration -
> focusing on the external relationships, not the internal processes.
>
I think you can do this. In the SGML world, DTDs were defined in
the industry standards organization. Most organizations that I
have worked with, i.e., airplane manufacturers, telecommunications,
railroad, etc. they took the industry standard and modified it for their
own internal processes. The railroad industry adopted the ATA
model for their electronic parts catalog. The ATA standard was
modified to meet the requirements of the railroad. They used
the 'best of breed' approach. They used the CALS 1840 specification
as their packaging standard.
> (This is not to deny that special features will be
> required for special cases, and that the special
> cases would require lots of effort. Of course
> many of the special cases have already been
> modeled in EDI groups so maybe those could be
Thats why we have rules so we can make exceptions to the rule |-).
>
> Am I making any sense at all?
I think a lot of sense.
Betty
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Betty Harvey | Phone: 301-540-8251 FAX: 4268
Electronic Commerce Connection, Inc. |
13017 Wisteria Drive, P.O. Box 333 |
Germantown, Md. 20874 |
[EMAIL PROTECTED] | Washington,DC SGML/XML Users Grp
URL: http://www.eccnet.com | http://www.eccnet.com/xmlug/
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/
==========================================
XML/EDI Group members-only discussion list
Homepage = http://www.xmledi.com
Brought to you by: Online Technologies Corporation
Home of BizServe - www.bizserve.com
TO UNSUBSCRIBE: Send email to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Leave the subject blank, and
In the body of the message, enter ONLY: unsubscribe
Questions/requests should be sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To join the XML/EDI Group complete the form located at:
http://www.geocities.com/WallStreet/Floor/5815/mail1.htm
