RE: [xml-dev] XML Vocabularies for Large Systems - 3 Philosophically Different Approaches

["Chiusano Joseph" <chiusano_joseph@bah.com>]

Interesting questions, especially in light of the upcoming OASIS
Symposium on "The Future of XML Vocabularies", April 2005: 

http://www.oasis-open.org/events/symposium_2005/

Kind Regards,
Joseph Chiusano
Booz Allen Hamilton
Strategy and Technology Consultants to the World
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Roger L. Costello [mailto:costello@mitre.org] 
> Sent: Sunday, December 12, 2004 2:54 PM
> To: xml-dev@lists.xml.org
> Subject: [xml-dev] XML Vocabularies for Large Systems - 3 
> Philosophically Different Approaches
> 
> Hi Folks, 
>  
> I am interested in hearing about the nature of XML 
> vocabularies that are being created for large systems.  I am 
> particularly interested in hearing from people who have been 
> successful in using simple XML vocabularies to implement the 
> complexities of varied data in large systems.  
> 
> Allow me to explain further...
>  
> DEFINITION
>  
> XML Vocabulary: an XML vocabulary is the collection of tags 
> that is used to markup data.  For example, this data:
>  
>      Borders Bookstore, 20 Boylston Avenue, Boston, MA, 01320
>  
> may be marked-up using this XML vocabulary:
> 
>      <Addressee>, <Street>, <City>, <State>, <Zipcode>.  
>  
> This later constitutes an XML vocabulary for U.S. Mailing Addresses.
>  
> SYSTEMS OF INTEREST
>  
> My interest is in large systems, where the variety of data is 
> large, and in the nature of XML vocabularies for such systems.
>  
> ISSUE - NATURE OF XML VOCABULARIES FOR LARGE SYSTEMS
>  
> I identify three philosophically different approaches to the 
> creation of an XML vocabulary for a large system:
>  
>    a. Create multiple, simple XML vocabularies.
>    b. Create a single, simple XML vocabulary that is used in 
> multiple ways.
>    c. Create a single, large, complex XML vocabulary.
>  
> Let us examine each of these approaches:
>  
> a. Create multiple, simple XML vocabularies
>  
>    In daily life we encounter many analogues to this 
> approach.  For example,
>    the postal service has its own simple vocabulary - 
> addressee, street,
>    city, state, and zipcode; a restaurant has its own menu 
> vocabulary - 
>    appetizer, entree, dessert, and side dishes.  I am sure 
> that you can 
>    think of many other examples.  We live in a world filled with many 
>    simple vocabularies, and (for the most part) we are able 
> to move about 
>    and function adequately with this multiplicity of simple 
> vocabularies.
>  
>    Likewise, in creating an XML vocabulary for a large system 
> one approach
>    is to create multiple simple XML vocabularies.
>  
> b. Create a single, simple XML vocabulary that is used in 
> multiple ways
>  
>    Consider the XML vocabulary called RSS.  It is a simple 
> XML vocabulary.
>    Despite its simplicity it is very popular and powerful.  Likewise, 
>    Jabber is a very popular and powerful simple XML vocabulary.
>  
>    A second approach for the large system is to create a simple XML
>    vocabulary that is used in multiple ways.  For example, you may  
>    have an RSS feed that captures one aspect of the large system, 
>    a second RSS feed that captures a second aspect of the 
> large system, 
>    and so forth.  The combination of RSS documents is used to 
>    collectively capture all the data complexities in the large system.
>  
> c. Create a single, large, complex XML vocabulary
>  
>    All the complexities of the large system are implemented 
> by creating a
>    single, large, complex XML vocabulary.
>  
> QUESTIONS
> 
> Have you implemented a large system?  Have you created an XML 
> vocabulary for a large system?  Which of the above three 
> approaches did you take? I am particularly interested in 
> hearing from people who have used simple XML vocabularies 
> [approach (a) or (b)] to achieve all the data complexities in 
> a large system.  
>  
> /Roger
> 
> 
> 
> 
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