Some questions

Thu Dec 2 12:50:12 GMT 1999

Hi Jeff,

Jeff said:
Well, you need both. You need the shared concept of "author" and the shared
representation of an instance of that concept. XML specs of various kinds
are trying to define shared representations at various semantic layers. Both
vertical and horizontal vocabulary efforts (Dublin Core, BizTalk, etc.) are
required to complete the equation.

Jeff

P.S. Please don't bash me for mentioning BizTalk. It was an arbitrary
example.

Didier reply:
I won't bash you but will precise that, the biztalk framework is more an
envelope used to transport you document. In that sense, your document is
transformed into a biztalk document's fragment.

If we look closely enough, a biztalk framework is a collection of meta data
about an XML document. Meta data like:
a) from whom/what is this document coming from?
b) to whom/what is this document sent to?
c) what is the purpose of this document?
d) To which process is this document part of?

So, a biztalk document is a set of meta data properties and your off course
includes your document now transformed into a biztalk document's fragment. A
biztalk document has about the same structure as an HTML document.
<biztalk>
<route>
header part or meta data part
</route>
<body>
body part - this is where you insert your document
</body>
</biztalk>

This is roughly equivalent to an HTML document structure:

<html>
<headers>
... your headers here including meta data
</headers>
<body>
...the HTML document body
</body>
</html>

Something interesting to note here, the meta data are mainly "routing" meta
data as you would find in workflow engines. Is a biztalk server a workflow
engine? Does Microsoft now want to enter in the workflow business? I let you
make your own conclusions.

PS: my outlook spell checker still wants to replace the "biztalk" word by
the "bestial" word :-)))

Cheers
Didier PH Martin
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