Creation of XML documents

[Wester, JJ (ICT)]

I am involved in a similar project: we want to  replace the current
inter-application communication techniques (RPC's, batch files etc) by XML
document exchanges. This because XML makes the interfaces more flexible.
We need methods and tools for the programmers who have to adapt old
applications, or build new applications that communicate through XML to
other applications.
The problem is that these programmers are used to RPC's etc. If they have to
use DOM, that would probably mean a lot of education and a lot of changes in
current applications. Also a lot of programs are written in COBOL, which
makes it more difficult to use DOM  I think.

The question is: what methods and tools can you offer these programmers?
What is feasible?
DOM? Which implies that the programmer constructs and sends an XML document
instead of calling a remote procedure.
DCE IDL? The programmer uses RPC's (as he does now), which are translated by
underlying middleware to XML documents?
But is this a practical solution?
What about using UML for your data definitions and then create stubs?

Any ideas?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Johan Wester				Tel.  +31 50 585 16 01
KPN Telecom				Fax. +31 50 585 22 40
P.O. Box 958				j.j.wester at kpn-telecom.nl
9700 AZ  Groningen


> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Kurt Helenelund [SMTP:kurt at simberg.com]
> Sent:	donderdag 5 november 1998 14:03
> To:	xml-dev at ic.ac.uk
> Subject:	Creation of XML documents
> 
> I am working on a project where we will use XML to exchange information
> between
> applications in different government agenices. We want to implement both
> on-line access
> between applications and asynchronous store & forward type of
> mechanisms.
> 
> I understand that there are 'lots' of good XML parsers (we have tried
> some) out there and that SAX and DOM are
> the prefered ways for applications to 'read' XML structures. I would
> like to ask if there's anyone
> that have the opposite problem i.e. for applications to create XML
> documents on-the-fly. Of course
> the developer could 'hand code' the XML structures which is error prone
> and booring . I am looking
> for something (API, lib) so that we could avoid this.
> 
> I would like to have a 'library' to which the application developer
> could say 'using this DTD please
> instantiate a XML document and help me to fill it in'.
> 
> Any solutions?
> 
> 
> --
> _______________________________________________________________________
> Kurt Helenelund                                Mobile: +358 50 555 0192
> Simberg & Partners                             Home:   +358 9  294 0313
> Mielikintie 7B                                 Fax:    +358 9  294 0314
> FIN-04230 KERAVA, Finland                      Email:  kurt at simberg.com
> 
> 
> 
> xml-dev: A list for W3C XML Developers. To post, mailto:xml-dev at ic.ac.uk
> Archived as: http://www.lists.ic.ac.uk/hypermail/xml-dev/
> To (un)subscribe, mailto:majordomo at ic.ac.uk the following message;
> (un)subscribe xml-dev
> To subscribe to the digests, mailto:majordomo at ic.ac.uk the following
> message;
> subscribe xml-dev-digest
> List coordinator, Henry Rzepa (mailto:rzepa at ic.ac.uk)

xml-dev: A list for W3C XML Developers. To post, mailto:xml-dev at ic.ac.uk
Archived as: http://www.lists.ic.ac.uk/hypermail/xml-dev/
To (un)subscribe, mailto:majordomo at ic.ac.uk the following message;
(un)subscribe xml-dev
To subscribe to the digests, mailto:majordomo at ic.ac.uk the following message;
subscribe xml-dev-digest
List coordinator, Henry Rzepa (mailto:rzepa at ic.ac.uk)