We know this will be the standard language to represent data and communicate in Internet and Intranets, no matter which platform or application the client or network uses.
The new language -which is not a new HTML version, nor a substitute- offers new possibilities for business to business data management and exchange.
XML is a text format language, similar to HTML in many aspects, but designed exclusively to store and transmit data. It encloses text between tags, as HTML does. However, unlike HTML, it accepts an indefinite amount of tags that determine the data content (for example price, name, etc) instead of the data display format.
As content and format are separated, it is possible to integrate data obtained from different sources and display the information according to the user's needs, without depending on the server.
"The effect this new language will have on business to business will be as important as the effect HTML had in the business to consumer relationship," said Andrés Aguiar from ARTech in his conference during the Windows 2000 Launching in Uruguay. "It is as flexible as file texts, as powerful as distributed objects, easy to transmit and there are also standard formats for vertical industries," Aguiar explained. The standard formats are the XML Schemas, which indicate the tags and types of data for specific applications. For more information, visit Microsoft http://www.biztalk.org or in http://www.oasis-open.org
These Schemas standardize the communication between companies. In the future, "If a supplier does not support orders by XML with the standard format to order from his industry, people will change supplier, because they will have software that makes orders that way."
Aside from the XSL (Extensible Stylesheet Language), one will be able to define the presentation of XML documents, and transform them in HTML, to be viewed in any browser. When passing an XML document (with information, but without format) through an XSL, the output obtained is HTML. As a result of this, data and presentation can be kept separated, then joined when they are sent to be viewed to the browser (Explorer or Netscape).
XML in the server
The XML-XLS-HTML transformation can be done in the server, rather than asking the client to do it. In that case, the client does not have to support XSL because the data is received in the browser's language (meaning, Netscape, which does not support XML yet, would be able to view that page).
Additionally, the next SQL Server version will allow making the query to the database in a URL that will return the result in XML.
"It is not necessary to install more database clients, you just have to access a browser (support to read via URL). There is no need to be connected to the same network the database is connected. There may be a client in any part of the world who asks for XLM and uses it."
The client writes the URL connected to the supplier's server and receives the pending orders integrated to his program. Instead of going to the supplier's Web page, he receives the data in his software, integrated to his system.
The most powerful feature offered by XML is the easy integration with external applications.
A Visual Basic application requiring data from third parties will not need to receive a file text to process everyday. Instead, it will connect to the client's Web server, regardless of the time and date, and see them in real time.
Additionally, it is now possible to consult a GeneXus knowledge base and receive the results in XML. The client simply loads the URL and makes a query with certain syntax to the XML server. The XML receives the order, demands the data from the database and transforms them into XML upon receipt. Then, it passes the data to the client, who reads and processes them in Office, HTML, or any other language.
The "XML Server", which is in the development stage at this point, will be released from Ceibo version beta 3.