xml-dev - RE: Future of XML Standards

[Michael Brennan <Michael_Brennan@Allegis.com>]

The W3C currently has an XML Protocol activity that has just started. It is
using SOAP 1.1 as it's starting point for discussion. The goal is to
establish a minimalistic XML protocol (XP) that can be a suitable substrate
for other XML messaging standards. ebXML is collaborating with that
initiative. A future version of ebXML will most likely be layered on top of
XP, and future versions of RosettaNet standards are likely to be layered on
top of ebXML. (ebXML is horizontal; RosettaNet is more oriented toward
vertical standards.)

XML Schema appears pretty certain to be a core foundation for standards
specifying message formats. It will displace DTDs and "proprietary" schema
languages such as XDR and SOX.

UDDI is in the forefront of defining service description and discovery
mechanisms. They have put forth WSDL as a service description language. They
have also pledged to submit their work to appropriate standards bodies at
some future point. It remains to be seen how their work will ultimately play
into standardization efforts; but for now, they seem likely to set the de
facto standards for service discovery and description.

I don't know where xCBL and cXML fit into this. My guess is they (or
equivalents) will be subsumed into RosettaNet efforts.

Of course, there can always be surprises along the way, and it can be
dangerous to predict exactly how it will all play out. It will all take a
few years to settle out (for instance, the targeted delivery date for XP is
April 2002).

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kevin Jones [mailto:kevin.jones@xmls.com]
> Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2000 1:42 PM
> To: XML Dev List (E-mail)
> Subject: Future of XML Standards
> 
> 
> This may be too vague, but can anyone offer a quick high 
> level overview of
> what the future of such standards as ebXML, xCBL, cXML, and 
> RosettaNet looks
> like?
> 
> Thanks for your time.
> KJ
>