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Re: [Updated] A Categorization of Data Interoperability Proble

• To: xml-dev@l...
• Subject: Re: [Updated] A Categorization of Data Interoperability Problems
• From: "Roger L. Costello" <costello@m...>
• Date: Fri, 19 Sep 2003 12:10:07 -0400
• Organization: The MITRE Corporation
• References: <3F6B1B9C.96B51935@m...> <3F6B2617.8F7352DD@b...>

Hi Joe,

Chiusano Joseph wrote:

> I was recently asked by a colleague to advise them on the "Different
> Format" problem.

Last month I wrote a short paper (based upon discussions on this list) on the
problem of producers and consumers using different formats:

     http://www.xfront.com/interoperability/CanonicalForms.html

I am currently updating this paper.  I no longer believe that "canonical form"
is important (other than as an engineering technique to reduce complexity).

The upshot of the paper is this:

1. Use OWL to declaratively express the various formats.
2. Create an "include file" that converts from any form to any other form.
3. When an application receives data in a "foreign format" it simply invokes
the include file function, which returns it in the desired form.
(Alternatively, the application could employ a "mediator agent" which
intercepts the data and converts it to the application's desired form using
the include file.  Thus, the application always "sees" the data in its desired
format).

A key point:
1. In an open system where there are interactions that cannot be predicted
apriori, it is unreasonable to expect a "standard format".  This is a key
point that I argue in "Living in a Schemaless Web":

    http://www.xfront.com/LivingInASchemalessWeb.html

/Roger

• Follow-Ups:
  • Ontologies vs Schemas vs Transformations (was Re: [Updated] A Categorization of Data Interoperability Problems)
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• References:
  • [Updated] A Categorization of Data Interoperability Problems
    • From: "Roger L. Costello" <costello@m...>
  • Re: [Updated] A Categorization of Data Interoperability Problems
    • From: "Chiusano Joseph" <chiusano_joseph@b...>

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