schemas now

[Steven Marcus]

I need to do data typing in a java-based application using XML
-- now!

I have looked at DataChannel's XML-Data Reduced implementation
in their "dcxjp" java parser. It appears, in general, to meet my
needs - except that a commercial licence appears to require some
negotiation.

Some questions:

1)
How far away are we from W3's "XML Schema" going to
"Recommendation" status? I see that it was published on May 6
1999. My guess is that we are at least a year away and perhaps 9
months away from some prototype implementations.

2)
dcxjp has an extended DOM implementation to provide access to
the "typed" data as defined by the schema from a DOM Node. Also,
it appears that there is a way to obtain information about the
schema associated with the XML document.
How far away are we from standard parser/DOM APIs to work with
W3's "XML Schema"? Schema support appears to be out of scope for
SAX2. Will schema support be included in DOM Level 2?

3)
Does anyone know of any XML-Data Reduced to DTD (or vice versa)
conversion tools?

4)
It appears that translation from XML-Data Reduced to the
eventual XML Schema Recommendation stands a good chance of being
accomplished programmatically. True?

5)
Can anyone provide alternative suggestions?
* The inheritance features of XML Schema are not critical in my
application.
* XML syntax (instead of existing DTD syntax) for schema
definition is preferred -- because some schemas will be
generated programmatically.
* Data typing is important.
As far as I can tell, XML Data Reduced/dcxjp is the only
implementation available today?

6)
Are schemas controversial? Or put another way, is it likely that
schemas will get embroiled in a political debate about being
relevant to the W3's charter, harmful to the web, etc..? If so,
then chances of a recommendation and API are reduced and for all
practical purposes I might as well use a vendor-specific
implementation... (A slightly cheeky question I admit... but I
ask because I need to implement immediately and am weighing the
risks associated with vendor lock-in.)

thanks much!
Steven Marcus













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