Introduction to Informatics - Fall 01 I.XML applications Why these applications are important? II....

Introduction to Informatics - Fall 01

I.XML applications• Why these applications are important?II. ebXML III. XFDL

IV. Information and Content Exchange V. Web Modeling Language VI. Text Encoding Initiative


I.XML applicationsWhy these applications are important?

They allow the creation of a scheme for “self-describing information”

Powerful desktop computers and PDAs get a form, fill it out and then swap it back and forth between servers until the job is completed

XML adds structural and semantic information that allows these devices to do a great deal of processing on the spotThis takes a big load off Web serversIt should reduce network traffic dramatically


As more industry-specific XML tags are used, searching will become more precise

The Newspaper Association of America is building an XML schema for classified ads that will improve searches

It will also change the way we use the webXLink allows links to multiple destinationsOther kinds of links insert text or images where you click, instead of forcing you to leave the pageIt allows indirect links that point to entries in a database rather than to the linked pages When an address changes, links that point to it can be updated by editing one database record This should eliminate the familiar “404 File Not Found”


Within organizations, data are difficult to manage and use because they are found under multiple formats:

Organizational documents; messages from customers or external partners; interfaces to transaction-based systems; databases (all varieties); web pages

Without a universal interchange format, organizations can’t exploit automation for internal and external partner applications

IT departments spend 40% of their time mining, extracting, manipulating, and updating data to serve specific needs

XML applications provide this exchange format


XML is a universal interchange formatUsing XML applications allows:

Storage and manipulation of native XML dataHigh-performance querying capability on large sets of XML-based componentsIntegration of disparate data sources into unified XML databases Standard interfaces to Web development languages Single points of administration Scalable data distribution functions


II. ebXML?It is an XML application used for b2b communication

It is a common set of specifications for ebusinessIt is a global standards setting effort by private and public sector organizations

Representatives from businesses, software companies, industry organizations, and standards setting bodies worked from 11/99-5/01

It has been volunteer and open sourceIt seeks to develop an open technical framework using

XML in a consistent and uniform manner to allow the exchange of all electronic business datahttp://www.ebxml.org/

http://www.ebxml.org/




Coordinated by Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) http://www.oasis-open.org/cover/sgml-xml.html

OASIS is a central clearinghouse for information about XML

UN Center for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) http://www.ebtwg.org/

The involvement of the UN is importantThe goal of the standard is to make ebusiness ubiquitousIt should work for any size business in any country reached by the net

http://www.oasis-open.org/cover/sgml-xml.html





http://www.ebtwg.org/




ebXML is the latest step in the development of ebusiness technology

It has its roots in EDI and XMLThe task

Make ebusiness information exchange simpleUse XML as an open standardProvide a migration path from EDIEncourage industry cooperation and buy-inAvoid proprietary hardware and software solutionsSupport a wide range of languagesAccommodate common rules of national and international business and trade


What does it do?Provides a globally developed open XML-based standard built on actual ebusiness experienceCreates a single global electronic market Enables all parties irrespective of size to engage in net-based ebusinessProvides for plug and play shrink-wrapped solutions Enables parties to complement and extend current EC/EDI investmentExpands ebusiness to new and existing trading partners Facilitates convergence of current and new XML effortshttp://www.ebxml.org/geninfo.htm

http://www.ebxml.org/geninfo.htm







ebMXL componentsUses a component set that cover common business requirements and processes

MessagingAllows sending and receipt of business data in a standard “envelope and message” formatUses Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) SOAP defines a format using a header containing data about the sender, receiver, routing, security Allows attachment of digitized files (drawings, flow charts etc)http://www.w3.org/TR/SOAP/

http://www.w3.org/TR/SOAP/


SOAP is a protocol for exchanging information in a decentralized, distributed environmentIt is an XML based protocol with three parts:

An envelope that defines a framework for describing what is in a message and how to process it A framework for expressing messag content, who should deal with it, and whether it is optional or mandatory A set of encoding rules for expressing instances of application-defined datatypesA convention for representing remote procedure calls and responses


POST /StockQuote HTTP/1.1 Host: www.stockquoteserver.com Content-Type: text/xml; charset="utf-8” Content-Length: nnnn SOAPAction: "Some-URI"<SOAP-ENV:Envelope xmlns:SOAP ENV="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/” SOAP ENV:encodingStyle="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/encoding/">

<SOAP-ENV:Body> <m:GetLastTradePrice xmlns:m="Some-URI">

<symbol>DIS</symbol> </m:GetLastTradePrice></SOAP-ENV:Body>

</SOAP-ENV:Envelope>

An example of SOAP

This is embedded in an HTTP request


Modeling business processes: ebXML Specification Schema

Describes interoperable processes allowing business partners to collaborate

Uses existing modeling languages to represent the flow of business data (Universal Modeling Language)Processes can be captured to fine grained levels of resolutionThis allows interoperability

It is a bridge between ebusiness process modeling and specification of ebusiness softwarehttp://www.ebxml.org/specs/ebBPSS.pdf


Modeling business processesA business collaboration is a set of transactions between business partners

Each plays one or more roles in the collaborationebXML supports binary and multiparty collaborations

A business transaction is conducted between two parties playing opposite roles in the exchange: a requesting role and a responding role

A transaction always succeeds or failsIf it succeeds it may be legally binding or otherwise govern partners’ collaborative activitiesIf it fails, it is null and void and each must relinquish any mutual claim established by the transaction


In a business transaction a business document is exchanged between requesting and responding roles

There is a requesting document and an optional responding documentThis depends on transaction semantics (one-way notification vs. two-way conversation)

Document definition uses ebXML core component specifications

It results in a DTD or schema that an ebXML Business Process Specification points to

Business transaction choreography is the ordering and transitions between business transactions or sub- collaborations within a binary collaboration


ebXML business transaction semantics allows businesses to specify ecommerce transactions that provide Interaction Predictability

Clear roles, transaction scope, time bounds, business information semantics, determination of success/failure

Ability to create legally binding contractsBusiness transactions may be agreed to bind the parties

NonrepudiationKeeping artifacts to aid in legal enforceability

Authorization SecurityRequire authorization of parties performing roles


Document SecurityDocuments are to be authorized, authenticated, confidential, tamperproof

ReliabilitySpecifying reliable delivery of business documents and signals

Run time business transaction semanticsThe rules and configuration parameters required for business service interface software will predictably and deterministically execute ebXML business transactions


These are some of the tags that have been created to capture the semantics of business transactionsname

Defines the name of the Business TransactionisGuaranteedDeliveryRequired

Both partners must agree to use a transport that guarantees delivery

preCondition A description of a state external to this transaction that is required before this transaction can commence


postCondition A description of a state that does not exist before the execution of this transaction but will exist as a result of the execution of this transaction

beginsWhen A description of an event external to the transaction that normally causes this transaction to commence

endsWhen A description of an event external to this transaction that normally causes this transaction to conclude

pattern The optional reference to a pattern that this transaction is based on


Collaboration Protocol Profiles (CCP)Trading partner profiles and agreements can be supportedThese contain industries, business processes, message types and data exchange formats that a company uses

Collaboration Protocol Agreement (CPA)This specifies the elements of the CPP that will be used in an exchange between two companiesIt is an automated exchange of information


Registries and RepositoriesRepositories contain modeled processes, message types, business vocabularies, and CPPs They are industry specific and match potential business partnersRegistries will be indexes to repositoriesThey will allow: Storage and retrieval objects Querying the database Updating Tracking versions Classifying of CPPs and CPAs


Here’s how it might work1. Specify a business transaction 2. Specify the business document flow for the transaction3. Specify a binary collaboration re-using the transaction4. Specify a choreography for the binary collaboration5. Specify a higher level binary collaboration re-using the lower level binary collaboration6. Specify a multiparty collaboration re-using binary collaborations


<BusinessTransaction name="Notify of advanceshipment"> <RequestingBusinessActivity name=""> <DocumentEnvelope BusinessDocument name="ASN"/></RequestingBusinessActivity>

<RespondingBusinessActivity name=""></RespondingBusinessActivity>

</BusinessTransaction>

This is an example of a notification transaction with a one-way document flow


<BusinessTransaction name="Create Order"><RequestingBusinessActivity name="”

isNonRepudiationRequired="true”timeToAcknowledgeReceipt=”P2D”timeToAcknowledgeAcceptance=”P3D"><DocumentEnvelope

BusinessDocument="Purchase Order"/></RequestingBusinessActivity><RespondingBusinessActivity name="”

isNonRepudiationRequired="true timeToAcknowledgeReceipt=”P5D">

<DocumentEnvelope isPositiveResponse="true”BusinessDocument="PO Acknowledgement"/>

</DocumentEnvelope></RespondingBusinessActivity> </

BusinessTransaction>

This is an example of a notification transaction with a two-way document flow


ebXML BP specification

Business document

specification

ebXML core components

Repository

CPACPP CPPBusiness service

interface

Business service

interface

Context for Built with

Implement roles Implement roles


A model of a document flow

ebXML Business Process Specification Schema, p21


Examples of business signals in a document flow

ebXML Business Process Specification Schema, p35


33 Build SystemBuild System

SpecificationsSpecifications

ProfilesProfiles

ScenariosScenarios

Request ebXML specification

Request ebXML specification

11

44 Register company profile

Register company profile

Query about Company X

Query about Company X

55

Request Company X’s Scenario

Request Company X’s Scenario

99

DODO BUSINESS!BUSINESS!

1111

Send Company X’s Scenario

Send Company X’s Scenario1010

ebXML BP ModelebXML BP Model

ebXML BO LibraryebXML BO Library

Send Company X’s Profile

Send Company X’s Profile66

SubmitSubmit TPATPA77

TPA AcceptedTPA Accepted88

Send ebXML specification

Send ebXML specification 22

Repository

From: http://www.metronet.com/~rawlins/ebXML_Introduction.ppt

http://www.metronet.com/~rawlins/ebXML_Introduction.ppt









III. XFDLXML + Forms = Extensible Forms Description LanguageForms are the primary user interface for business

Businesses produce 90 billion pre-printed pages dailyPaper forms allow specific sets of data to be easily organized, classified, and understood

Forms are a structured way to represent data Efficient use of forms allows companies to carry out high-volume business processesThey provide the templates for data collection, and the

record or archive of the data collected


Forms create transaction recordsThey are contractual in nature (explicitly or implicitly) Users of a form participate in the contract by filling in the necessary information and signing it If there is disagreement, the form is proof of the transaction

Forms capture a fixed record of the data at the time the form was signed

They are a valid “source documents”Indelible ink prevents tampering, and the signature provides signer authentication and authorization

How can this scenario be handled digitally?


Three keys for the management of transaction recordsSecurity

Authorization, document authentication, and signer authentication

Non-repudiation Digital signature and contextual information

AuditabilityWho was involved?When did the transaction occur?What is the nature of the transaction?What are the results of the transaction?


XFDL provides intelligent, enforceable, secure business forms

This represents an advance over standard forms, which separate content from context

<form>NameAddressWhat is your pet’s name?<form>

Bozo T. Clowne 2 Rubber Nose Circle Tricksie

Name=Bozo+T+Clowne&address=2+Rubber+Nose+Circle&pet=Tricksie

is sent as


When you click on “submit,” the form input data is sent to the server

The answers (input data) are transmitted, but not the questions (form template)This means that the forms are not enforceable and can

be repudiatedIn a single file, XFDL stores:

The form templateThe input dataThe form’s internal logic

It uses Xpath to search the XML documents


XFDL allows the secure transmission and storage of “trusted” XML documents

It allows these data to be accessed and authorized with a digital signatureThis provided “non-repudiability”

It is interoperableIt doe not specify any “business semantics”This means it can work with existing business markup languages It can use the DTDs and schemas of BizTalk, CBL, cXML


XFDL supports a “forms repository” of XFDL documents that provide

Legally-admissible transaction records for dispute reconciliationBusiness auditsChain-of-custody processes

In technical terms, it follows the prescription of the W3CIt is readable, extensible, open source


<?xml version="1.0"?><XFDL version="4.0.0">

<page sid="p1"><label sid="Title">

<value>Pythagorean Theorem</value><fontinfo content="array">

<facename>Times</facename><ae>18</ae><ae>bold</ae>

</fontinfo></label><field sid="A">

<label>Enter side length A:</label><value>3</value>

</field><field sid="B">

<label>Enter side length B:</label><value>4</value>

</field><field sid="C">

<label>Hypotenuse length C is:</label><editstate>readonly</editstate><value content="compute">

<cval>5</cval><compute><![CDATA[ A.value <= "0" || B.value <= "0"? "" : sqrt(A.value*A.value +B.value*B.value)]]></compute></value>

</field></page>

</XFDL>

An example of XFDL


IV. Information and Content ExchangeICE addresses the problem of syndication

Reuse and redistribution and content among web sites Syndication requires

A common vocabulary among syndicators and subscribers A common protocol and content management model

ICE manages and automates syndication relationships, data transfer, and results analysis

With an industry specific vocabulary, ICE allows syndication of any type of information between providers and subscribers

http://www.w3.org/TR/NOTE-ice

http://www.w3.org/TR/NOTE-ice


ICE is an XML application and a protocolIt uses Channel Definition format (CDF) to define a mechanism for scheduling delivery of encapsulated content

ICE adds Subscription relationship managementAsset managementReliable sequenced package deliveryAsset repair operations Constraints on exchange of data (terms of the syndication)


The ICE protocol covers four types of operations: Subscription establishment and management

The subscriber obtains a catalog of subscriptions from the syndicatorThe subscriber subscribes to one, negotiating a mutually agreeable delivery method and schedule

Data Delivery ICE uses a package concept as a container mechanism for generic data itemsThis sequenced package model allows both incremental and full updatesIt supports push and pull data transfer models


Event logsICE allows event logs to be automatically exchanged between subscribers and syndicatorsThis is important for syndication management

MiscellaneousICE provides support for miscellaneous operations The ability to renegotiate protocol parameters in an established relationship The ability to send unsolicited ad-hoc notifications (i.e., textual messages) between systems The ability to query and ascertain the state of the relationship


For example:Headlines.com is an online content provider selling subscriptions to a headline service.

They update headlines three times a dayA headline has four fields: headline text, thumbnail GIF, date, and a URL link to the story on Headlines.com Subscribers receive these headlines They display the headlines on their own site, with the URL link to Headlines.comFor an extra fee, subscribers post the actual story text from Headlines.com


Package Update Example

(1) SUBSCRIBER ==> SYNDICATOR:HTTP POST:<ice-payload>

<ice-request> Get Package</ice-request>

</ice-payload>

(2) SUBSCRIBER <== SYNDICATOR:HTTP Response to the POST:<ice-payload>

<ice-response> Package: X Confirmation Required</ice-response>

</ice-payload>

An example of ICE


V. Web Modeling Language (WebML) is a modeling language for designing Web sitesIt is a notation for specifying complex Web sites at the conceptual levelIt enables the high-level description of a site:

Data content (structural model), The pages that compose it (composition model), The topology of links between pages (navigation model), The layout and graphic requirements for page rendering (presentation model), The customization features for one-to-one content delivery (personalization model)


WebML uses graphic notation and a textual XML syntax Structural Model: expresses the data content of the site, in terms of the relevant entities and relationshipsHypertext Model: describes one or more hypertexts that can be published in the site

Each different hypertext defines a so-called site viewComposition Model: specifies which pages compose the hypertext, and which content units make up a page

Six types of content units can be used to compose pages: data, multi-data, index, filter, scroller and direct units


Navigation Model: expresses how pages and content units are linked to form the hypertext

Non-contextual links connect semantically independent pages (the artist’s page to the site’s home page)Contextual links connect the content of the destination unit of the link to the content of the source unit

Presentation Model expresses the layout and graphic appearance of pages with an XML syntax

Presentation specifications are either page-specific or generic. This is independent of the output device the rendition language


Personalization model: users and groups are modeled in the form of predefined entities called User and Group

The features of these entities can be used for storing group-specific or individual contentThis includes shopping suggestions, lists of favorites, and resources for graphic customizationHigh-level business rules can be written using a simple XML syntax They can be defined for reacting to site-related events, like user clicks and content updates Business rules produce new user-related information (shopping histories) or update the site content

(inserting new offers matching users’ preferences)

<?xml encoding="UTF-8"?>   

  

<!ELEMENT WebML (Structure, Navigation, Personalization, Mapping)> <!ATTLIST WebML

version CDATA #REQUIREDsiteName CDATA #REQUIRED

>

The high level WebML dtd

<!ELEMENT Navigation (SITEVIEW*)>  <!ELEMENT SITEVIEW (PAGE*, CONNECTUNIT*, CREATEUNIT*, DELETEUNIT*,

DIRECTUNIT*, DISCONNECTUNIT*, MODIFYUNIT*, OPERATIONUNIT*, SITEPRESENTATION?)> <!

ATTLIST SITEVIEWid ID #REQUIREDname CDATA #IMPLIED

homePage IDREF #REQUIRED >

The first part of the WebML Navigation dtd


VI. Text Encoding InitiativeTEI is an international and interdisciplinary standard used to represent literary and linguistic texts for online research and teaching

It was created in 1987 and modified in 2000It is used by libraries, museums, publishers, and scholars

It is managed by the TEI consortiumUniversity of OxfordBrown UniversityUniversity of BergenUniversity of Virginia


TEI is an encoding scheme that is “maximally expressive” and “minimally obsolescent”

It is used to represent text, images, and soundTEI is concerned with the textual features that should be encoded (made explicit) in electronic text

It contains ~400 textual feature definitions, expressed as SGML elements and attributes, with documentation and examplesElements are grouped into tag sets

This creates a modular scheme which can be configured to provide hardware and software-, and application- independent support for encoding text in all languages


The generic form of a marked up TEI text is:<TEI.2>

<teiHeader> [ TEI Header information ] </teiHeader><text><front> [ front matter ... ] </front>

<body> [ body of text ... ] </body> <back> [ back matter ... ] </back></text>

</TEI.2>

Examples of the TEI elements:19. Front and Back Matter

19.1. Front Matter19.1.1. Title Page 19.1.2. Prefatory Matter

19.2. Back Matter 19.2.1. Structural Divisions of Back Matter 20. The

Electronic Title Page 20.1. The File Description

20.1.1. The Title Statement 20.1.2. The Edition Statement 20.1.3. The Extent Statement 20.1.4. The Publication Statement 20.1.5. Series and Notes Statements 20.1.6. The Source Description

<!ENTITY % prologue 'INCLUDE' > <![ %prologue; [<!ELEMENT %n.prologue; %om.RR; ((%m.divtop; | %m.Incl;)*, ((%component;), (%m.Incl;)*)+, ((%m.divbot;), (%m.Incl;)*)*)> <!ATTLIST %n.prologue; %a.global;

TEIform CDATA 'prologue' > ]]><!ENTITY % epilogue 'INCLUDE' > <![ %epilogue; [<!ELEMENT %n.epilogue; %om.RR; ((%m.divtop; | %m.Incl;)*,((%component;), (%m.Incl;)*)+, ((%m.divbot;), (%m.Incl;)*)*)> <!ATTLIST %n.epilogue; %a.global;TEIform CDATA 'epilogue' > ]]>

http://www.tei-c.org/Guidelines/DTD/teifig2.dtd

TEI dtd for drama elements

Introduction to Informatics - Fall 01 I.XML applications Why these applications are important? II....

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