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Fw: PLEASE 'splain a DTD's purpose
For those of you who think XML is going to replace ANSI and EDIFACT EDI, and
wonder why some of us old flatii have our doubts due
to lack of standards for business transactions, I thought I would share this
posting from the Usenet newsgroup microsoft.public.xml
from a new member of the "one of your own" club......
Out of the mouths of babes....
(In context, 'babes' means 'children.' So don't go accusing me of sexism. OK,
sweetheart?)
Michael Mattias
Tal Systems, Inc.
Racine WI
----- Original Message -----
From: "xmEllen" <
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.xml
Sent: Friday, November 01, 2002 2:03 PM
Subject: PLEASE 'splain a DTD's purpose
> Hi,
>
> I've been taking a class in XML where we have written DTD's and
> Schemas as part of our coursework.
>
> The class material says that DTDs and Schemas are recommended to
> ensure document conformity especially in Business-To-Business
> transactions where XML documents are being exchanged.
>
> OK, so I work for Company A. I write an XML document and also write a
> DTD to go with it. I send my XML document and DTD to company B. My
> DTD says that my XML document must have element X which must have
> exactly 3 specified child elements, and 2 specified attributes and
> so forth.
>
> While I am writing my XML document, I can use the DTD to validate the
> XML document to make sure that I've followed my own rules.
>
> But what's the point beyond insuring that I have followed my own
> rules? When company B gets my XML file, what does it matter to them
> that I followed my own rules for how the XML document should be? And
> what if the DTD referenced in my xml doc somehow gets changed by
> someone at Company B? Then what?
>
> IE has it's own DTD built inside which allows us to write and look at
> other people's html docs. But we cannot change this DTD - it is built
> into IE. We do have the ability to change and use any DTD we want?
> Wouldn't this spell confusion?
>
> I guess my question is what is the point of a DTD and Schema beyond
> insuring that xml writers follow their own rules.
>
> Thanks,
> xmEllen
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