Rick King

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Hot Topics XML

• Rick King
• Executive Vice President
• Chief Technology Officer
• The Dialog Corporation
• SLA 92nd Annual Conference
• June 12, 2001

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Agenda

• Practical Definition
• The Value
• The Pitfalls
• The Industry and XML
• Dialog and XML
• The Promise

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By the way.this will NOT be

• A technical how to session
• A XML primer
• A lesson in DTD design
• Unbridled evangelism for XML

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XML is for the digital representation of
documents. Charles Goldbfarb Rusty
Prescod. The XML HandbookA set of rules for
defining semantic tags that break a document into
parts and identify the different parts of the
document. A meta-markup language in which you
make up the tags you need as you go along.
Elliott Rusty Harold, XML Bible
XML
eXtensible Markup Language
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What is XML?

• XML describes document structure not the
  formatting of the content
• Each XML application has its own syntax and
  vocabulary
• Markup tags are defined and controlled by the
  user
• XML defines a grammar for tags used to mark up a
  document
• Document Type Definition (DTD) specifies the
  rules for document markup in XML

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What is XML? - Tupperware

• It is the containers (the Tupperware)
• Different shapes and sizes for different needs
• It is not the content (the food)
• And it is easily shareable (no mess, no spill)

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XMLs Origins

• XML Version 1.0 formalized in 1997
• Derived from SGML (Standardized Generalized
  Markup Language)
• Evolved from work done at IBM on rule-based
  document markup in the late 1960s
• Related to HTML but different in its focus on
  structure rather than formatting
• Can be used to extend HTML

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The Value

• Ah.a standard!
• Simple, flexible, straight forward
• Allows information to be
• Organized
• Classified
• Retrieved

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The Value

• Knocking down walls
• Open standard with support from big vendors
• Add or replace on-line partners without coding
• The DeBalkinization of content and companies

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The Pitfalls

• A Standard - really?
• Lack of standards in tagging
• Shareable or not?
• Skilled resources

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Industry and XML - Directional

• Evans Data Corp Study
• XML use up 48 since Nov 2000
• Over 50 of developers will use XML next year
• Intellor Group Survey on the major benefits of
  XML
• 66 - common B2B format
• 58 - common data access
• Beginning to see formats for different data types
  emerge as standards

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Industry and XML - Directional

• XML is device independent
• Should help fuel rapid expansion in wireless and
  other technologies

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Dialog and XML - Directional

• Convert content to XML format
• Use XML Interchange format to support
  interoperability among Thomson companies
• Over 60 individual XML initiatives are presently
  underway in Thomson

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The Potential

• Similar content similar standard for tagging
• Where does the standard get created and by whom?
• Interoperability cross database searches
• Simplicity
• A standard that evolves

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The Potential

• In the1850s, books were filed by size.
• Then a scheme for organizing, classifying and
  retrieving was created, which has lasted many
  years.
• How will on-line information get such a scheme?

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The Potential

• Standard XML and tagging could it be
• The Dewey Decimal System of the 21st century?
• It could if
• Information Professionals
• lead the way!

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The Potential

• Information Professionals
• and information companies
• lead the way!

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Thank you!
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Hot Topics XML

• Rick King
• Executive Vice President
• Chief Technology Officer
• The Dialog Corporation
• SLA 92nd Annual Conference
• June 12, 2001