Re: XML and embedded systems

[John Wilson <tug@wilson.co.uk>]

James,

    have a look at XML-RPC (http://xmlrpc.org) .

It is reasonably simple and there are many implementations available. It's
not 100% suitable for embedded systems with very limited resources (but then
I don't know anything in the XML universe which is - XMLers are big systems
people).

John Wilson
The Wilson Partnership
5 Market Hill, Whitchurch, Aylesbury, Bucks HP22 4JB, UK
+44 1296 641072, +44 7976 611010(mobile), +44 1296 641874(fax)

----- Original Message -----
From: James Spink <jimspink@hotmail.com>
To: <xml-dev@lists.xml.org>
Sent: 26 January 2001 21:27
Subject: XML and embedded systems


>
> (long note warning)
>
> I'm a newbie to the XML world.  I have a problem I'm hoping others may
have
> seen and may have suggestions on:
>
> I have an embedded system that I'll need to communicate data to and from a
> client.  Generally, the client will make a request and the server will
> respond, i.e. with data, success/failure, etc.
>
> In  particular, the client will need to be able to get and set some
> parameters on the system.  Some of the items are fairly complicated
> structures or lists, while others are simple strings.  The list of items
> that the system needs configuration for will vary based upon what the
device
> is installed into.  In addition, over time, the device may evolve
additional
> function requiring new or changed parameters.   The connection to it will
be
> TCP/IP but of limited bandwidth and only directly to/from the client.
>
> This system will have a JVM and HTTP server available.  Adding something
> like Java servlet capabilities is a possibility.  XML came to mind as a
way
> to communicate this data since its flexible, has rich toolsets available
in
> multiple languages, and can communicate data layout as a part of the
> payload.   It could even be used to have the device tell what items it
> supports and how.  This device doesn't necessarily have to present an HTML
> interface for configuration, though it could.  There will be two principal
> clients - the manufacturer of this device (who wants to set it up in
> quantity) and the service center that uses this device (who wants to
> periodically change some device parameters on individual devices).  Both
of
> these environments place a higher value on a client-side programmatic
> interface rather than a user interface as they usually wish to minimize
user
> typing when dealing with the device.  The client could for example
generate
> and consume the XML directly, or use supplied libraries to produce/consume
> the XML.
>
> Has anyone dealt with this before?  My current thinking is to keep it
simple
> and use my own XML grammar - XML at its simplest, so to speak.  One way I
> thought of would be to transmit the XML via HTTP by using a POST
transaction
> and placing the entity in the HTTP message body, then respond with XML.
Or
> I could do something simpler and simply send an XML-encoded request over a
> socket and respond using XML.
>
> I've looked at some of the many technologies invented for XML, but most of
> them seem like overkill for this scenario.  There aren't databases
involved,
> nor is this going to be an Internet application.
>
> Comments?
>
> Thanks!
> Jim Spink
>
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