XML in Business   Term Paper ID:31797 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Discusses why XML will be vital for information systems in business; compares HTML and XML.... More...

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Paper Introduction: XML and Business Introduction Companies must always seek ways to improve their business processes inorder to remain competitive in today\'s market During the brief history ofthe Internet-brief in terms of commercial activity as a whole-companiesaround the world have changed the way that they conduct business Today the Internet is used for internal communication external communication toimprove supply chain management and to conduct day-to-day businessoperations In addition the Internet is available to large and smallcompanies equally This accessibility is based in part on Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. From an e-commerce standpoint, XML makes it possible for companies tobuild flexible Web sites that can be accessed from many different devices,including PCs, but also including PDAs and cell phones. XML offers developers theflexibility they need to accommodate these increased demands, and since itis application-independent, this flexibility offers considerablecompetitive advantage to companies seeking to maximize their IT efforts("The Best" 4 ). Originally, HTML was-like SGML-designed fordocuments, not presentation, which meant that it was not designed for thehighly presentation-oriented Web. TheWeb is networked together through the Internet, which is a collection ofthousands-or millions-of computers and networks that are themselvesnetworked together ("Internet Facts" 1). Given that companies have a vested interestin the implementation and adaptation of XML, it is not surprising that anumber of companies are funding XML instruction at educational institutionsor at the companies' facilities (Downey 52). Itwas passive, rather than active, meaning that information could not beentered onto Web pages once they were posted on the Internet-indeed, theconcept of Web pages is only one aspect of the Internet, which alsoincludes file transfer protocol (FTP) sites and other applications. Software AG is working with large IT companies such as IBM and HPto build alternatives to EDI and expand the reach of XML in the market (KohNSTP171 6629). Background of XML Extensible markup language (XML) came about in 1996, well after HTMLwas already popular on the Web. Retrieved from http://www.sgmlsource.com/history/roots.htm 16 Oct 2 4.Hinderliger, Hal. This separation would make iteasier for smaller documents to be incorporated into larger documents andwould simplify training issues since a single standard formatting languagewould be used across many different documents. As the companies that employ theseindividuals begin to deploy XML Web sites, they will gain competitiveadvantage over their competition due in part to the lower developmentcosts, the ease with which the Web sites can be maintained and upgraded,and the broader array of applications that can be implemented due to XML'smore powerful application orientation (Trippe 23). Theseapplications require that data can be entered, analyzed and modified insome way by the computers that support the Web. Retrieved from http://outdoortech.net/strategies/faq.htm 16 Oct 2 4.Koh, Cindy. EDI is proprietary toindividual companies and does not use the Web, but allows searching of dataon systems that HTML does not. Today,however, users and content providers alike are demanding more from the Webthan in the past. "XML Inches Toward the Mainstream." Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management 3 (Jul 2 1): 7.Middlemiss, Jim. Early adopters of this newstandard included the Department of Defense and the Internal RevenueService, two large American government agencies. HTMLcannot accommodate these and other demands, but XML can. While HTML generally works with the browsersavailable for personal computers and laptops, problems arise when newerdisplay devices such as PDAs or cell phones are used. "XML: Language for New Generation of Web Authors." CommunicationsWeek International (Mar 2, 1998): 16.Daly, Janet. XML documents can containmany different types of information, and also include content as well asexplanation as to what that content is. Some major companies have already recognized that XML offerssignificant advantages over HTML and are encouraging the industry to movein the direction of XML through their early adoption of the language.Software AG, based in Germany, embraced XML in the early 2 s as ametalanguage capable of providing an alternative to electronic datainterchange (EDI) for large organizations. This also means that HTML cannot be usedacross disparate machines, such as PDAs or cell phones (Molta 49). While such violations are notnecessarily problematic in standalone Web sites, they can causedifficulties when developers try to make sites interactive throughsearching off-server databases or performing other tasks that stretch evenwell-written HTML to its limits. As additional companies embraceXML, however, companies of all sizes are likely to recognize the advantagesthat XML offers. Barriers and aids to XML Implementation One of the biggest barriers to the acceptance of XML is the wideacceptance of HTML. It is likely that XML will continue to gainpopularity in business as companies seek to integrate ever-more functionsinto Web portals and e-commerce environments. In addition, XMLmakes it possible for those Web sites to perform more tasks than at anytime previous, including accessing different databases with differentformats from a single Web page. Advantages of XML There are many advantages to XML, beginning with the fact that is notlimited to text-only documents. Businesses are supporting the move to XML, butHTML developers are more plentiful in the workforce and are thus moreeconomical to employ. As increasing numbers of students learn XML as part of their educationcurriculum, it is likely that XML will gain additional acceptance in themarket. HTML developed partly asa way to avoid the rigidity of SGML, but much of SGML's power was lost inthe process (Leppanen 1). Web pages are also able to link from one document to another sothat a single Web site may have hundreds-or even thousands-of documentsassociated with it that the user accesses by clicking on links. Development costs and maintenance expensescan soar as a result, and are exacerbated by the lack of standardsregarding HTML development or even HTML training since many HTML developersare self-taught (Tuchel 37). Documents and the Web Web pages are simply documents that have been formatted for display.Some of these documents can accept input from the user, such a when aconsumer makes a purchase at amazon.com and enters their credit cardnumber. IBM continued to be astrong industry supporter of this new markup language ("A Brief" 1). "World Wide Web Consortium Issues XHTML 1. While HTML uses the same tags in eachdeployment, for example--indeed, all HTML commands are available online--XML allows developers to create their own customizable environment. Ray. XML also owes its existence to SGML, butwhere HTML was created by SGML, XML is a subset of SGML. SGML is complex and strict in itsrequirements, and not particularly user-friendly. XML maintainsmuch of the power of SGML and many of the rigidity requirements, but isalso more flexible and less cumbersome than SGML. "VoWLANs." Network Computing (Oct 3 , 2 3): 49.Ray, Deborah S., and Eric J. SeriousWeb developers who are in a position to take advantage of the considerableflexibility that XML offers are not likely to be held back by the learningcurve associated with XML, but more casual users may find that HTML remainstheir Web development language of choice ("When" n.p.). as a Recommendation." Information Today 17(Mar 2 ): 47.Downey, Geoffrey. Not only do users want to be able to display pages, theywant to interact with those pages. Theseformatting commands are invisible to the user, but are embedded in the Webpage itself. Perhaps more problematic is the problems that HTML has when usedacross multiple browsers. (2 4). XML, HTML and SGML are the most commonly used languages forgenerating these formatting commands (Ray and Ray 1998). During the brief history ofthe Internet-brief in terms of commercial activity as a whole-companiesaround the world have changed the way that they conduct business. The Commercial Orientation of Markup Languages As early as the 196 s, developers at various companies in Canada andthe United States were interested in separating the formatting data ofdocuments from the content of the documents. From a commercial standpoint, XML is likely to be vital for businessesin the future because of the flexibility and cost savings that it brings.Because XML is more powerful than HTML, Web sites can be upgraded morefrequently and with more features than with HTML. Business Applications for the Internet When the Internet was initially begun, it served as a communicationtool for individuals in government agencies and academic institutions. Researchers at IBM took thelead in developing the first Generalized Markup Language (GML), and becauseof IBM's industry dominance at the time, GML rapidly gained industryacceptance (Goldfarb 1). It is also likely that schools and other training programs will beginemphasizing XML as a programming language much as such programs emphasizeVisual Basic or C++. Today,the Internet is used for internal communication, external communication, toimprove supply chain management and to conduct day-to-day businessoperations. "Choose the Right Tools for Content Editing." Transform 11(Aug 2 2): 22-27.Tuchel, Gretchen. There can be significant cost savingsassociated with XML, as well, as XML facilitates the long-promised move toa paperless office since many different applications can now access thesame data ("When" n.p.). XML uses many of thesame features--the same "vocabulary" as HTML--but expands their use andadds many more (Lindsay 7). By the end of the 197 s, GML had evolved intoSGML with significantly more capabilities. Retrieved from http://www.cbainternet.com/old/ 16 Oct 2 4.Cukier, Kenneth. This accessibility is based in part on the lack ofexpense associated with accessing the Internet. Retrieved from http://www.sgmlsource.com/history/sgmlhist.htm 16 Oct 2 4."CBAInternet." CBA Internet, Inc. This research considers both XML and HTMLfor business applications and which will prove vital for businessinformation systems. XML is significantlybetter suited than HTML for commercial applications, and this is where italready has made inroads. Users donot see the formatting codes that make all of these activities possible.However, Web pages use a formatting language in order to have theappearance that they do. In many cases, visual editors such as FrontPagekeep developers at arm's length from the HTML code itself, so thatdevelopers are not aware when they are violating HTML principles, or evenwhat those HTML principles might be. Because XML can accommodate many differentformats, it offers far more flexibility in the appearance and design of Websites. This can causeproblems for developers who have not adhered to HTML's underlyingprinciples and who may find that their user interfaces are no longereffective with the new devices. Certainly HTML offers tags forformatting documents, but complicated presentation requires complicating"coding" that can result in documents that are themselves complex anddifficult to maintain. "XML for E-business." New Straits Times (Jun 7, 2 1): NSTP171 6629.Leppanen, Marko. Although XML requires more expertise than HTML, and whileHTML may remain the language of choice for the casual Web developer, thevast and largely untapped potential of XML makes it the likely choice ofpower Web developers in coming years. Where HTML is strictly a text-based languagethat has been stretched to accommodate other types of information, XML wasdeveloped with the idea that it would accommodate dissimilar types ofinformation across many different platforms. In addition, the Internet is available to large and smallcompanies equally. "XML and SMGL." (2 ). "Integration: The Wheel That Makes STP Spin." Wall Street and Technology 22(May 2 4): 23-26.Molta, Dave. "Information Professionals Leading Intranet Development Initiatives." Online (Nov-Dec 2 2): 36-39."When Will XML's Time Come?" CioInsight (Feb 22, 2 2): n.p."W3C Finishes Spinning the Web." Client Server News (Apr 12, 2 4): n.p. In early 2 , the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) recommended thatXHTML be used as the standard to bridge the gap between HTML and XML.XHTML, as its name implies, combines many of the features of both XML andHTML, and offers users a relatively easy transition to the more complexdevelopment environment of XML. "Three Cheers for XML." American Printer 232(Nov 1, 2 3): n.p.Holzschlag, Molly E. Thusdevelopers can use their own "shorthand" that is immediately recognizableby other XML applications because it is written within the confines of theXML language. This gives developers considerable latitude in development,yet keeps the end result within the realm of XML and thus able to bedeployed in many different environments (Middlemiss 23). Increasingly, training programs and educational institutions areproviding XML instruction. Another advantage to XML is its considerable flexibility compared toHTML from a development standpoint. Both HTML and XML supportsuch applications (Cukier 16). Businesses can gain a competitive edge by usingextensible markup language (XML), but XML has not yet become the dominantmethod for building Web pages. Outlook XML offers considerable benefits for those developers who are able totake the time to learn its sometimes complex syntax. Today, companies use the Web for e-commerce-to buy and sell goodsdirectly-to conduct pools and surveys and to generate revenue through on-site advertisements. Conclusion As the Web developed and gained popularity, HTML was a good choice forWeb developers. As companies emphasize e-commerce intheir businesses, it becomes critical that the Web serve as a portal toother computing data that may not be available on the Web server. With the industry making recommendationsthat set up XML as the de facto standard, it is only a matter of timebefore serious Web development moves from HTML to XML exclusively ("W3C"n.p.). This is because these students will enter the workforceknowledgeable about the power and the appropriate use of XML, and they willbe confident in its application. Many small and medium sized companies have not yetrecognized significant benefit from XML since HTML can provide many of thefeatures that they require from the Web. SGML's developerscreated a complicated metalanguage that was able to facilitate the creationof other markup techniques such as HTML. "The Fear of X." PC Magazine (Aug 1, 2 1): 1."Internet Facts." Outdoor Technology (2 4). Presumably, theflexibility and openness of XML will make it possible for many millionsmore to enjoy the World Wide Web (Daly 47). As increased numbers ofindividuals are trained and develop proficiency in XML, labor costs willalso decline, making this a more economic solution for business, as well.XML is likely to be the industry standard for Web development before manymore years pass. Similarly, because XML is not limited to a specific browser orgroup of browsers, it has the potential to bring the Internet to many moretypes of devices, including PDAs and cell phones. Retrieved from http://matwww.ee.tut.fi/hmopetus/prj/xmlsem2 /ht/leppanen.htm 16 Oct 2 4.Lindsay, Greg. Cascading style sheets (CSS), which separatedocument formatting from document presentation, make it easier to putinteractive and interesting documents on the Web, but increase thecomplexity and thus the maintainability of HTML documents (Holzschlag 1). XML provides faster capabilities than EDIin many instances, and integrates e-commerce across the organization as awhole. HTML is easy to learn and made it possible for thousandsof individuals without extensive programming backgrounds to develop Webpages, thus helping to increase the popularity of the Internet. Limitations of HTML Although HTML is considerably easier to use than SGML, much of the Webdevelopment that makes use of HTML does not abide by the rules that shouldguide HTML development. Where HTML can be learned outside the classroom, XMLis better suited to a classroom environment where standards and syntax canbe explained and studied and where students have the opportunity to testthat which they have learned. XML and Business Introduction Companies must always seek ways to improve their business processes inorder to remain competitive in today's market. "Bridging the Gap Between SGML and HTML." Technical Communication 45(Aug 1998): 427-432.Trippe, Bill. In addition, there are built-in limitations toHTML, including the fact that formatting can often cause errors in HTMLdocuments, particularly as developers try to develop interesting orinteractive HTML pages. HTML is used by millions around the world, sometimesthrough the use of visual editors, and many times these individuals are notinterested in learning a new development tool, particularly one that isconsidered far more complicated than that which they already use. HISTORY of HTML Hypertext markup language (HTML) evolved from SGML. Bold text, spaces between paragraphs, links, andall of the other formatting information that makes a particular Web pagedisplay as it does are all contained in this formatting language. HTML has severe limitations for businessapplications, however. Today, most Web pages usehypertext markup language (HTML). In this way, many differentapplications can read XML files since the documents themselves provide thekeys to the meaning, so that PDAs and cell phones can display XML documentswhile various applications that use XML can read and understand other XMLdocuments (Hinderliger n.p.). "XML Training for the Future." Computer Dealer News 16(Jul 14, 2 ): 52.Goldfarb, Charles. Works Cited"The Best Ways to Link Your Branch Offices." Computer Weekly (Oct 5, 2 4): 4 ."A Brief History of the Development of SGML." (Jun 11, 199 ): SGML Users' Group. In addition, the toolsthat are used to build Web pages are readily available at low cost and canbe used quickly by even novice Web designers. In addition, the Web is used to communicate withsuppliers and vendors, for supply chain management and to provideinformation and services to employees ("CBA Internet" 1). "The Roots of SGML." (1996). If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.

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