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XML and Web Services: The next big thing?

If you are someone who regularly browses through tech journals, magazines and websites, chances are that you have come across the terms XML and Web Services more and more. So what is XML and why is it touted as the next big thing? What are Web Services? A fancy new name for E-Commerce?

Deceptively similar to HTML, XML is that and much more.

Whatis(http://www.whatis.com) defines XML or Extensible Markup Language as “a flexible way to create common information formats and share both the format and the data on the World Wide Web, intranets, and elsewhere.”

XML is similar to HTML the in the sense that both contain markup symbols to describe the contents of a web page. The key difference is that in XML you can not only use the markup tags to define how data is to be displayed but also define your own markup tags.

This self defining and limitless options of Markup symbols have earned XML the title of Extensible. XML is an easier to use version of the Standard Generalised Markup Language; the mother of all Markup languages.

For example, a group of retailers and manufacturers might choose to standardize the way they describe their products. For e.g., Each product will have a Part number, Title, Description, Features (Broken down into individual standardized features).

This intelligent way of describing data will allow computer systems to easily communicate with each other and decipher the meaning behind each tag. This would not only allow the manufacturers to provide product data to their dealers which could be easily integrated in the dealers' systems but also allow a comparison shopping engine to easily compare products based on pricing and features.

XML was designed to describe data and to focus on what data is whereas HTML was designed to display data and focus on how data looks. XML is not a competitor but a complement to HTML.

For E.g. an entry in an addressbook in XML format would look something like this

<contact>

<FirstName>John</FirstName>

<LastName>Smith</LastName>

<TelNo>6503585478</TelNo>

</contact>

Uses of XML

XML can be used for multiple purposes.

1. For seperating your data from the display.

2. To exchange data by providing a standardized format of communication.

3. For B2B transactions.

4. To Store data

Web Services

Which brings us to the question: What is Web Services?

It describes a standardized way of integrating web based applications using XML, SOAP, WSDL and UDDI open standards over an Internet protocol backbone. So while Web Services is not a synonym for E-Commerce, it goes a long way in taking E-Commerce to the next level.

XML is used to tag the data; i.e. define the data.

SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) is used to transfer the data.

WSDL (Web Service Definition Language) is used to describe the services available.

UDDI (Universal Description, Discovery and Integration) is used for listing what services are available.

Web Services are not about a user interacting with the system through a GUI but about applications talking to each other using the recommended standards.

Since all communication used by Web Services is in XML, it allows for different applications from different platforms and sources to talk to each other without requiring any customization of code or knowing what the other application is built in.

Example

Consider a company manufacturing auto parts and which has implemented Web services.

The application at the dealership might determine that the supplies of particular parts are too low and would trigger a request for more supplies to the Central Warehouse. The central warehouse in turn would dispatch the supplies and at the same time send in the status update to the manufacturing facility. The manufacturing facility will in turn plan for production of the concerned parts to maintain stock levels. The applications at the manufacturing facility will in turn trigger orders with their raw materials suppliers.

It would also send requests for payment to the dealer application which would make the requisite deposit.

Thus you can see how applications easily communicate with each other thus eliminating paperwork and human error.

Web Services and XML are not the future. they are the present and will take us into the future.

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