Subject: E5 V2 and XML

From: "Gary Morin" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 9 Mar 1999 10:17:24 -0500

I read with interest Carl Hage's note from yesterday.  I think he is right in
stating the big difference is the GISB/AIAG-E5 use of the HTTP form data as part
of the standard.  We at AIAG debated this at length and concluded that we had to
provide both a human to machine (Forms) and machine to machine (MIME) approach.

I also just wanted ot point out that based on our practical expereinces so far
the E5 folk are already proceeding down the "XML as a parameter/data passing
mechanism" road for version 2 of our guideline and you can check out our current
thinking at http:/www.efive.com and click on the E-5 (Revision 2) link.

Our latest approach has been to split the human and machine driven options
apart.
Unfortunately we still don't think it is as easy as just picking one or the
other
approach.  Our current efforts are focusing on the machine to machine problem
using XML as the messaging language.

I know it is painfull to look at all that work on AS1 and dying to just make AS2
look just  like it but unfortunately the XML approach is just to good an idea to
pass up when it comes to addressing the machine to machine interaction.  The
data package remains the same, MIME wrapped X12/EDIFACT/whatever.  XML
becomes the lingua franca between the implementations and maybe someday
replaces the X12/EDICACT stuff.  It's a good overall direction.

    -- Gary

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