XML is closely related to HTML, the technique used to display web pages in your browser. Web pages are held passively on servers for anyone to access and display (albeit security of access may be required). XML documents, however, are transferred between originators and recipients for action. Generally XML documents are either sent as attachments to e-mails, or accessed via FTP.
There is a long-term vision that XML documents should be sent automatically when created, as a function of an organisation’s server system — just like an e-mail. Similarly, when an XML document is received, the receiving server should recognise what it is, route it to the correct folder, and initiate the process that actions the XML document. That is the concept behind Microsoft’s BizTalk Server, and one that is beginning to be developed by enterprise systems. The intention is to cut out the need for intervention in creating, sending and processing XML documents, and leave us "humans” to manage the results, such as to schedule the orders received in the last hour, or decide what to do with exceptional conditions. This is all tied in with Microsoft’s .NET environment too.
At present Datafile only intends to process XML documents as batch tasks initiated by selecting the appropriate Datafile options. We do not provide or initiate communications tasks. We will supply procedures to process XML files received, and to create XML files to be sent. We expect third-party solutions (such as e-mail or FTP) to be used to send and receive XML files.
Article ID: 1866 Created On: Tue, Jul 10, 2012 at 1:44 PM Last Updated On: Thu, Jun 22, 2023 at 4:41 PM